When you bite into cucumber, what hits you first - its crunch or juiciness?
The soft, grassy flavour comes through only once those first two characteristics have subsided; even then, the mild taste is as gentle as a newly mown lawn on a hot summer day. Cooling and refreshing, cucumber is synonymous with this time of year. These characteristics remind me of watermelon; indeed when the two are combined with feta, they make for great salad.
Despite its versatility, cucumber is seen as rather dull, even suffering the ignominy of being sold chopped in half by supermarkets. On its own it is an introvert, but in the right company it comes to life.
Possibly the most famous partnership is cucumber and mint. This breezy combination might pop up bobbing in your summer Pimms, or any long cool summer drink. Add yogurt to the mint-cucumber axis and you have a condiment revered from Greece to India and all countries in between. Variations might involve lime juice, salt or garlic, but the freshness remains. The ultimate summer soup to me is a chilled cucumber and mint soup, not the ubiquitous gazpacho. And a sandwich of cucumber slivers scattered with mint leaves will astonish and delight you in equal measure. Dill or tarragon are the other herbs to pair with cucumber, especially if pickling. Slices or ribbons warmed in vinaigrette garnish fish perfectly and make a surprise hit.
Chilled cucumber, sour cream and mint soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 cucumbers
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and sliced in fine slivers
4 spring onions, white and green parts, cut into one-inch pieces
4 large or 8 smaller fresh mint leaves
2 dssp sour cream or plain yogurt if you prefer, low-fat if desired
1 lemon, juiced and zested
A little water to adjust the thickness
Salt and ground black pepper
Method
1. Peel three of the cucumbers and leave one unpeeled. Cut one of the peeled cucumbers in half and set one half aside.
2. Cut all the other cucumbers in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Slice the cucumber flesh into half moons about 1cm thick.
3. Transfer the cucumber to a food processor. Add the garlic, spring onions and mint leaves. Process thoroughly, scraping the sides of the blender down with a spatula once or twice.
4. Add the sour cream or yogurt and the lemon, then pulse to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Also adjust the thickness: if too thick, add a drop of water; if too thin, add a little more sour cream or yogurt. Once you are happy with the consistency press it through a fine sieve, if you wish, or leave it as it is. Refrigerate the soup for at least one hour or until needed.
5. Take the half-peeled cucumber that was set aside in step 1 and cut it into 5mm dice and reserve as garnish.
6. To serve, chill four serving bowls then pour in the soup. Scatter with the diced cucumber and, if you wish, some small mint leaves or shredded leaves. Drizzle a little olive oil over the surface and serve at once.
Pickled cucumbers
Makes six jars
Ingredients
1.5kg cucumber, sliced very thinly, using a mandolin if possible
700g onions, halved and sliced very thinly, using a mandolin if possible
80g sea salt
500ml cider vinegar
350g granulated sugar
4tsp mustard seeds
A few whole cloves
Half-tsp ground turmeric
Method
1. Layer the cucumber and onion in a colander over a bowl or in the sink, sprinkling with the sea salt as you go. Weigh them down with a plate and leave for two hours to bleed the juices out. Rinse the vegetables well to get rid of the salt and drain them off in the colander. Leave to drain for another 30 minutes.
2. Combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, cloves and turmeric in a large preserving pan or stock pan and warm slowly, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely.
3. Add the cucumber and onion mixture and bring back to the boil for one minute. You may need to do this in several batches if you don't have a big preserving pan. If so, lift out the cucumber and onion mix with a spider or large slotted spoon and cook each batch for one minute until all the cucumber has been done. Mix well so the spices are evenly distributed and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the mixture to sterilised jars, leaving the liquid in the pan.
4. Bring the liquid back to the boil and simmer until slightly reduced, then divide it between the six cucumber-filled jars, filling them to the brim.
5. Put on the lids and label the jars with the contents and date. The cucumbers will be ready to eat after 4-6 weeks; done now, they will be a taste of summer, captured for you to enjoy as September nears its end.
Geoffrey Smeddle is the chef proprietor of The Peat Inn by St Andrews, Fife Ky15 5LH 01334 840206 www.thepeatinn.co.uk
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