Posts Tagged ‘Cucumber’

Taste: Crunchy, slightly bitter and acidic, our  cucumbers have amazing refreshing qualities. The Sicilian variety in particular has a more intense and satisfying flavour and is ideal for any recipe where cucumber is the star of the show (like tzatziki).

Quality: We only source the finest grade available on the market. Our buyers only select what is looking and tasting best!

Growing: There are many varieties of cucumber, the most common being the Dutch (long and smooth-skinned, grown in greenhouses). We get ours from Sicily, where the warm weather allows an open air cultivation. Summer is the peak of the season of course, so take advantage.

Cost: We always let you know the price per kg so you can easily compare our prices. Our cucumbers are not only superior in quality, but they are also better value than what is usually found in the supermarket:

Natoora “Sicilian cucumber“ £0.78/300gr, £2.60/kg

Waitrose “Cucumber Essential“ £0.80 each (price per kg not given)
Abel and Cole “Cucumber” £1.75 each (price per kg not given)

(prices checked on 23/05/2010)

Serves 2 as a side dish

1 Sicilian cucumber
50g borage
2cm ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1tbsp caster sugar
5 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tsp soy sauce
salt

Peel alternate strips off the cucumber so that you end up with a stripey cucumber. Then slice very thinly and sprinkle with salt and leave to rest in a colander for 10 minutes until softened.

Chop the borage in 2 cm stripes, then lightly steam until just about wilted.

Mix the sugar and a pinch of salt with the vinegar and soy sauce.

Rinse the cucumber and squeeze to drain excess water.

Mix the cucumber and borage with the dressing, then sprinkle the ginger matchsticks on top.

This is a very refreshing salad so it’s a good accompaniment to rich meats and oily fish.

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the refreshing and seasonal flavour of cucumber.  It is of course fantastic in a jug of Pimm’s or in a smoked salmon sandwich, but try it as a sauce with cod and you will be blown away!

4 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp.  chopped chives
8 tbsp. flour
6 tbsp. milk
750g cod fillets
75g butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cucumbers
25cl white wine
120g sour cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the fish and pat it dry. Then mix the herbs with the flour, salt and pepper on a big plate. Dip the fillets into a bowl of the milk, then roll them into the herby flour and put on the side.

Heat 50gr of butter and some oil in a large pan and fry the fish on a high heat. Rest it on some kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil then keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

Peel the cucumbers, cut them lengthways and scrape out the central seedy part. Cut in thick slices. Fry them in the remaining butter for 30 seconds, then add the wine and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down, then add the cream.

Arrange the fish on a serving plate and spoon over the sauce.