Cucumber.

Cumbersome in name, far beyond its simple shape and shade, the cucumber might be the most unimaginative looking of all vegetables. Deriving from the Latin Cucumerem, this straight and ordinary staple of a vegetable belongs to the Cucurbis family, which includes zucchini, cucunza, summer squash, pumpkin, watermelon and cantaloup, a creepy crawly vine family bearing fruit, and in botanical terms actually classified as a berry.

“The vegetable is very watery and contains very little nutritive value”

- Larousse Gastronomique

Consisting of 95% water, the cucumber is extremely low in carbohydrates and protein with negligible traces of fat. It is poorly low in nutrients – a single cucumber provides only 16% of daily recommended intake of vitamin K. And supposedly little else.

Despite its unremarkable rep, the cucumber excels in its crunchiness, and is unmatched in its capacity to cool and refresh. It is indispensable and wholly unsubstitutable in a Pimms or a Hendricks Gin and Tonic, as well as the cucumber sandwich and tzatziki. It might not do a lot, but what it does it does very very well.

Cucumber -

Works hard.

The cucumber boasts a long lineage, originating from Northern India as far back as 10,000 BC. It’s more recent past has seen its fortunes rise and fall. It features several times in the Bible and was adored by the Romans, only to become thought of as poisonous by the 17th century and fit only for cattle, and promptly renamed: from the all-important Earth Apple to the lowly Cowcumber.

Although long bred to remove their bitterness, the cucumber can still today be difficult to digest. Peeling the skin and removing the seeds (a grapefruit spoon works very well here) helps, as does draining under salt to remove some of its bitter liquid. It is a good idea to taste your cucumber before deciding which treatment it needs.

Despite the limited ways it is commonly used today, the vegetable-berry has many culinary guises, and is delicious cooked or baked, methods somewhat fallen out of fashion today - although most would agree it is in its best, most unique element raw, not only for its crunchy and clean taste but also surprisingly strong and fresh smell.

Pickled and preserved cucumber varieties are much loved global delicacies, as are marinated cucumbers, whether in yoghurt or simply olive oil: chill in the fridge for even just half an hour, together with your favourite herbs such as dill or basil. A most refreshing accompaniment.

Cold or cooked, cucumber has many pairing opportunities, beyond those found in the simple salad. Cucumber is excellent combined with sour ingredients such as yoghurt or goat’s cheese, or heavy foods such as avocado, oily fish, shellfish or peanuts or pork, a variety of herbs such as dill, basil, mint and chives, as well as fruit such as melon, rhubarb and strawberries – a strawberry and cucumber salad, seasoned with lots of black pepper and a dash of white wine is a deliciously pleasant and unexpected summer side dish for cold salmon or rabbit. Or try a cucumber mousse, with rye bread and/or salmon trout, a very fine summer appetizer or snack. And of course, the finest summer snack of all – cucumber sandwiches.

Cucumber sandwiches -

the finest summer snack.

Popular past cooked cucumber recipes have included stuffed cucumbers (with rice or veal, still popular in parts of France), cucumber soufflés and even deep-fried cucumbers. Cucumber cooked in butter or cream was a common side dish for sole or veal, on both sides of the Channel and even the Atlantic.

The cucumber’s most distinguishing, interesting feature is perhaps its ability to transform in its effect, depending on the way it is cut – whether thinly with a mandolin, chunkily or diced, the cutting of the cucumber is just as significant as any cooking: be sure to give it good thought.