Cucumber – It’s History & 2 Recipes
Cucumber – It’s History & 2 Recipes
From a Guest Writer
Louis XIV, king of
France, was the longest reigning monarch in the history of Europe. He became king at the tender age of five upon
his father’s death in 1643. Actual
control of the government was in the hands of his First Minister Jules Cardinal
Mazarin until Mazarin’s death in 1661.
Louis then ruled until his death at age 76 in 1715. Louis, also known as the Sun King and Louis
the Great was an absolute monarch who favoured a centralized state. Politics aside, he was also known for his
love of food.
Le Potager du Roi,
(the King’s vegetable garden) was built between 1678 and 1683 by Jean-Baptiste
La Quintinie, the King’s gardener at Versailles. Quintinie, who had been appointed Director of
All Royal Fruit and Vegetable Gardens, was assigned one million square feet of
land to produce a garden capable of meeting the court’s demanding needs for
fresh produce. One of the many types of
fruits and vegetables grown was the cucumber.
In fact, Quintinie, borrowing from a technique used for cultivating
melons, grew his cucumbers under glass.
The glass acted as a greenhouse by capturing the sun’s warmth and thus
expedited maturity.
Cucumbers, a member of
the gourd family, have been cultivated by man for at least 3,000 years. They originated in the foothills of the
Himalayas, probably in or near present day India. They eventually found their way to Egypt and
were subsequently cherished by the ancient Romans and Greeks. Incidentally, the first documented use of the
phrase cool as a cucumber was in the poem A New Song by English poet and
playwright John Gay in 1732.
The skin, (if it is
not waxed), and the seeds of cucumbers are edible. As the cucumber matures however, the seeds
can start to become bitter. Thus, it is
a good idea to scoop them out. The English
cucumber is a long and narrow cucumber which is marketed as seedless but
actually will contain a few seeds.
Cucumbers are
available year round with a peak season from May until August. Choose specimen’s with firm, smooth skins,
devoid of any blemishes or soft spots.
They can be stored in the fridge in a bag for up to ten days. Cucumbers are high in potassium and fibre
with moderate amounts of Vitamins A and C, as well as folic acid, phosphorous,
and magnesium.
Although they can be
cooked, cucumbers are most often eaten raw in salads, in cold soups, in
cucumber based sauces, and as hors ‘oeuvres. Cucumbers are also the vegetable
of choice for pickles. Â Pickles are made by placing cucumbers in a seasoned
brine or vinegar solution.
Cucumbers are used to
make raita, (pronounced rye-ta), a classic Indian dish. Raita is a mixture of
yogurt, cucumbers, seasonings, herbs, and possibly other vegetables. It can be
used as a condiment or when mixed with larger chunks of other vegetables or
fruits, made into an actual salad.
Similar to raita is
the Greek cucumber and yogurt sauce tzatziki. Tzatziki is the classic sauce
used on Greek gyros. Gyros are sandwiches of minced lamb on pita bread with
onions and peppers. Again, the yogurt and cucumbers are mixed with herbs, and
seasonings.
There are many
variations for raita and tzatziki, (especially raita), and no matter what you
call it, yogurt/cucumber based preparations are creamy, cool, low-fat,
delicious, and can be utilized on numerous foods. Try them on lamb chops,
sausage, chicken, or even fish. Use them as a dip, an alternative to sour cream
on Mexican dishes, or even a substitute for mayonnaise on a sandwich. They are
often used with spicy foods since their creamy coolness provide a harmonious
balance with zestier flavours.
RECIPES:
Mark’s Cucumber and
Yogurt Sauce Recipe
1 pint plain yogurt
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon, (more or less to taste)
Small to medium batch of mint leaves, chopped (Or try
cilantro or a cilantro/mint combination)
Half teaspoon cumin
Half teaspoon coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
For a thicker sauce, place the yogurt in a colander on top
of another pan and allow it to drain in the fridge for an hour or two.
Similarly, after chopping the cucumber, press the excess water out in a fine
mesh sieve. Mix all of the ingredients and serve as suggested above. Other
optional flavour enhancers include finely chopped onion or garlic.
**********
Cucumber & Bean
Sprout Salad
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly julienned
12 oz. bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper, thinly julienned
6 scallions, sliced
1 small to medium batch cilantro, stems included, chopped
Dressing:
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1½ teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoon sesame seed oil
Mix all of the ingredients for the salad. For the dressing,
combine everything but the oils. Whisk thoroughly to dissolve the sugar and
salt as much as possible. Then slowly add the oils, constantly whisking, until
an emulsion is formed. Mix with the salad and serve.
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