When I was approached to flesh this concept out, I was excited…this is one of those vegetables that tampering (cooking) with will mean sacrilege to most. The crunchy, juicy and cooling cucumber can merge and blend in various salads, but cooking with it requires some planning and thought process… Blended cucumber, served chilled infused with flavours, in this case ginger is definitely a thirst quencher and on a hot day... it's relief! The pin wheels hoisted on wooden skewers are not only pretty to look at, but packed with nutrients and again ideal for a summer break, delicious with the accompanying dips. A cucumber granita - so easy to make (and I avoided using the granita machine ‘coz homes don’t have one) is awesome. Simply put loads of ice in a bag and crush it either with a rolling pin or super blitz it once or twice in the blender, it does the job. Try the recipes... cooking with cucumber is fun.

Bulgarian Cucumber Soup
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cucumbers, pared and seeded
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 to 1 1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream

Method:
Mix together oil, salt, pepper, garlic, dill, and walnuts. Marinate cucumber in this mixture for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator.
Puree mixture in blender. When ready to serve, mix in cream. Put 1-2 ice cubes in each bowl and pour in soup.

Thai Appetizer
Ingredients:
1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt
1 large cucumber or 6 small garden cucumbers
3 tbsp thinly sliced shallots or coarsely chopped purple onion
2 tsp thinly sliced fresh hot red chillies or finely chopped fresh hot green chillies

Method:
In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar and salt dissolve, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let the dressing cool to room temperature.
Peel cucumbers and cut them lengthwise into 4 long strips. Slice each strip crosswise into small triangles. (You should have about 3 cups.) Place in a small serving bowl or divide among several small serving bowls. Top with the chopped shallots and chillies. Shortly before serving, pour the cooled dressing over the cucumbers. Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for a day or two, and serve cold.
Makes about 2 cups.

Cucumbers are a mainstay of Thai cooking, sliced and placed at the base of steaming servings of rice, hollowed out and stuffed with seasoned pork for a clear soup, and seasoned with a sweet and tangy brine for this delicious, ubiquitous little pickle. If you use the big, dark green, cucumbers, do this first: peel well, halve lengthwise, scoop out seeds with a spoon, and then slice crosswise into sturdy little crescents. Except when serving it with satay, Thais often crown this refreshing salad with a tbsp of chopped peanuts and 2 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro.

Jewish Salad
Cucumber, Fennel And Orange Salad With Pomegranate Seeds.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 hothouse cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 large naval oranges, zest and pith removed, halved and thinly sliced
2 bunches watercress or 8 ounces young spinach leaves
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Method:
Combine cucumbers, fennel, onion, oranges and watercress in large shallow bowl. Whisk together vinegar, orange juice, honey and olive oil.
Toss with salad.
Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.

Cucumber-Carrot Pinwheels
Ingredients:
whole cucumbers, unpeeled whole carrots, peeled

Method:
Cut cucumber in 3" lengths. Hollow out seeded middle section. Push a carrot into the hollowed out center of the cucumber. Slice the cucumber/carrot wheels into 1/2-inch slices. You end up with a cucumber slice with a carrot center. Looks very attractive as a garnish and is fat free and tasty!!

Note: Try scoring the cucumber skin before using them in this recipe: run a fork lengthwise down the cucumber skin all around the cucumber. Actually, this method makes pretty cucumber slices with or without skin.

Garlic Greek Sauce With Chicken Roast and Cucumber salad
Serves 2
Greek sauce
Ingredients:
1 small container of yogurt , 1 cucumber
At least 1 clove of garlic, salt and pepper to taste, juice of 1 lemon

Method:
Cut the cucumber into very small pieces. Sprinkle them with a little salt and let them sit for a few minutes. This will draw out excess moisture. Rinse them (but don't soak them) to get off the salt. Crush the garlic and mix it with the yogurt. If you like your sauce thick, drain in through a cheese cloth and use only the thick stuff that remains. Finally, mix in the cucumber. Add pepper and at the last minute, a little lemon juice.

CITRUS AND HERB ROASTED CHICKEN
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, 10 gm fresh rosemary
10 gm fresh thyme, 5 gm lemon zest
100 ml orange juice, 100 gm butter, 2 large onions
2 carrots, 120 gm celery, juice of 1 lemon

Method:
Marinate the chicken with rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange juice and butter. Take a little butter and rub it under the skin as well.
Fill the stomach cavity with celery, onions and carrots (diced).
Preheat an oven to 180º C and roast the chicken for 40 mins, basting frequently with butter and orange juice till the chicken is cooked. Cut the chicken in half and serve with Tzatziki (yogurt cucumber dip)

Cucumber and Rucola salad
Ingredients:
200gm rucola (arugula) leaves, 2 cucumbers diced
10 ml lemon juice, 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
3 gm salt, 3 gm cracked black pepper, 50 gm cherry tomato

Method:
Clean and chill the rucola, diced cucumber and cherry tomato in iced water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Toss together with the lemon juice, olive oil, cracked pepper and salt.
Serve chilled along with the roast chicken on a bed of Greek sauce.

Chicken with Cucumbers
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 tbsp salad oil
1 1/2 kg broiler-fryer
chicken, quartered
200 gms mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 chicken-flavour bouillon cubes or 2 tsp chicken flavour stock base
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 large cucumbers,
1 cup sour cream

Method:
In 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, in hot salad oil, cook chicken until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic to drippings in skillet. Cook about 2 minutes. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in sherry, bouillon, salt and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened.

Add chicken, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring. Meanwhile, cut half of a cucumber into very thin slices, set aside for garnish. Peel remaining cucumbers and cut into large chunks. Add cucumber chunks to chicken and continue cooking 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and cucumber is tender-crisp. Stir in sour cream. Cook until heated through, but do not boil. Arrange chicken pieces on warm platter, surrounded with chunks of cucumber and pour on sauce. Garnish with cucumber slices.

Cucumber-Lemon Spritzer
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
6 tbsp brown sugar
1-1/2 cups diced
peeled cucumber
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups sparkling water, chilled
1 small cucumber, cut lengthwise into 4 spears

Method:
Combine 3/4 cup water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool.
Place sugar mixture, diced cucumber, lemon juice, and ginger in a blender; process until smooth. Cover and chill.
Combine cucumber mixture and sparkling water in a pitcher; stir gently with a whisk until blended. Serve over ice; garnish each glass with a cucumber spear, if desired.

Cucumber Granita
Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 large cucumbers, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1/4 tsp salt

Method:
Peel the cucumbers, slice them in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Roughly chop the cucumbers and place them in a food processor with the sugar, dill and salt. Process until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl as necessary. Refrigerate until cold or overnight. Stir the chilled mixture, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. When finished, the granita will be soft and have the consistency of sorbet. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze to harden. To serve, scrape the top of the granita with a heavy ice cream spade or scoop, creating shaved ice crystals. Serve in small, chilled dishes.
Alternately, pour the cucumber mixture into ice cube trays, filling only half way, and freeze until firm. Before serving, process the cucumber ice cubes in a food processor until chopped and slushy. Serve immediately.
Try this light, refreshing, and unusual ice as a summer lunch opener served in a hollowed-out tomato. Or, drizzle with a little buttermilk for a very interesting summer "soup."
Variations
Cracked Cucumber Granita: Substitute 1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns for the dill. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
Cucumber Basil Granita: Omit the dill. Add 8 fresh basil leaves to the food processor along with the cucumber. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
Cucumber Mint Granita: Omit the dill. Add 1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves to the food processor along with the cucumber. Proceed with the recipe as directed. Optional: add 1 tablespoon green creme de menthe before freezing.
Cucumber Thyme Granita: Substitute 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves for the dill. Proceed with the recipe as directed.