Cooking With Cucumbers

Latest News

Cooking With Cucumbers

Cucumber Party Flan

Ingredients:

• 1 x 9” freshly baked cheese pastry case
• 1/2 pint thick white sauce
• 1 small cucumber, finely chopped
• 6oz peeled prawns
• Salt
• Cayenne
• 3 large eggs

Method:

Drain cucumber for 15 minutes. Simmer for 5 minutes with prawns in sauce. Cool slightly, season, beat in eggs. Pour into flan case. Bake at 325oF, mark 3, 160oC, for about 45 minutes until set. Have hot or cold.

Cucumber and Tuna pate

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and deseeded
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4oz/100g cream cheese
• 2oz/50g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 7oz/200g canned tuna, drained
• Salt
• Lemon
• Butterflies and sprigs of dill to garnish
• 1/2oz/15g gelatine
• 2 tablespoons white wine

Method:

Roughly chop cucumber and place in a food processor with tuna, cream cheese, breadcrumbs, lemon juice and brandy. Blend until smooth, season. Spoon into a dish. Dissolve gelatine in white wine in a small bowl over a pan of hot water. Arrange cucumber and lemon on top of pate with a small sprig of dill. Pour gelatine over. Leave to set.

Cucumber sauce

A great accompaniment for trout, salmon and left over roast poultry.

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 1 tsp castor sugar
• 1 tbsp tarragon vinegar
• 5 fl oz double cream or crème fraîche.
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Coarsely grate the cucumber. Place in a bowl with the salt, pepper and vinegar. Allow to stand for 30 mins – 1 hour. Beat the cream/crème fraîche and add the cucumber mixture and the sugar. Serve chilled.

Chilled cucumber and yoghurt soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber
• 1/2 pint natural yoghurt
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 pint chilled milk
• white pepper to taste

Method:

Coarsely grate the cucumber. Place in a bowl and fold in the yoghurt. Peel and chop the garlic and, with the lemon juice, salt and milk, fold into the mixture. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Serve garnished with cucumber slices.

Cucumber and egg starter

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber
• 3 eggs – hard boiled
• 150ml natural yoghurt
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Peel and dice the cucumber. Finely chop the eggs. Combine the cucumber, eggs, yoghurt and chives and season with salt and pepper. Chill for 1-2 hours. Serve as portions on lettuce leaves.

Thai prawn and cucumber stir fry

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber
• 100g king prawns (washed and dried)
• 1/2 onion
• 2 sticks celery
• 50g mange tout
• 1 lime
• 1tsp coriander
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Method:

Deseed and thickly slice the cucumber and marinate in the juice from the lime together with the coriander and chopped garlic for about 5 minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok. Add the finely sliced onion and chopped garlic and stir fry for one minute. Add the prawns to the marinated cucumber and leave to stand. Cut the mange tout in half and add to the wok with the sliced red pepper. Keep stirring. Drain the cucumber and prawn mixture and add to the wok. Stir fry for a further minute. Serve with freshly cooked rice.

Stuffed cucumber salad

An unusual dish with a fresh, tangy flavour. Ideal as a starter of light snack.

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber
• 5 fl oz water
• 2 tbsp wine vinegar
• 2 eggs – hard boiled
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 small onion, chopped and peeled.
• 6 small radishes
• a few sprigs of watercress
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Peel the cucumber and cut into quarters. Cut each chunk in half lengthways and deseed. Place the cucumber in a pan with the water, wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Drain and leave to cool. Deshell and mash the eggs. Mix in the olive oil, mustard powder, onion and salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the cucumber chunks. Garnish with watercress and radishes and serve with thin slices of brown bread and butter.

Cucumber jelly

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 15g powdered gelatine
• 250ml lemon juice
• 250ml hot water
• 225g seedless grapes

Method:

Sprinkle the gelatine on to the lemon juice and leave to soften. Add to the hot water and stir until dissolved. Peel and thinly slice the cucumber. Line the bottom of a 19cm jelly mould with half the slices and all the grapes. Pour the lemon jelly mixture into the mould and arrange the remaining cucumber slices on top. Place in the fridge and leave to set.

Cucumber crisp

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 2oz grated cheddar cheese
• 1oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1oz butter
• vegetable oil for greasing

Method:

Preheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Cut the cucumber into 2” pieces. Cut each piece in half lengthways, then cut each piece into quarters. Remove any large seeds. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the cucumber for 4 minutes. Drain. Grease a small ovenproof dish and arrange half the cucumber over the base. Combine the cheese and breadcrumbs with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle half the mixture over the cucumber in the dish. Dot with butter. Arrange the rest of the cucumber on top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs mixture. Dot with butter and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the top is crisp and brown. Serve immediately with fluffy cooked rice or new potatoes.