4 large cucumbers
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 bunch cilantro
1 medium onion diced
3 teaspoons hot curry powder
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
3 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup sunflower seeds (soaked for 2 hours)

Peel and slice the cucumbers into thin circles and transfer to a bowl. Finely chop the cilantro and mix with the cucumbers. Add the onion, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serves 5-8

Sweet Cucumber Salad (Cook’s Garden)
This light vinaigrette with a dash of sugar is just the right blend to highlight seedless Cucumbers and will make a perfect accompaniment to sushi or other oriental fare.

Thinly slice two cucumbers and place in bowl along with 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with fresh chopped dill and allow cucumbers to marinate an hour or more before serving.  

DILLED TUNA-CUCUMBER SALAD (Bon Appétit Light And Easy )
Serve on a bed of lettuce with dill sprigs and sliced ripe tomatoes or pile onto whole wheat bread with crisp lettuce for a satisfying sandwich.

1 6 1/8-ounce can water-packed white tuna, drained
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
2 small green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Mix well. Season generously with pepper. Serve salad chilled.
Serves 2.

Bruschetta with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Basil (bigoven.com)
Makes 15 to 20

 3 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 baguette
2-3 peeled garlic cloves, for rubbing

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and basil; season lightly with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and vinegar, and toss well to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour but no longer than 3 hours.
Heat broiler or grill pan. Cut bread diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice lightly with olive oil; grill or broil on both sides until toasted.
Rub hot bread lightly with garlic cloves on one side only. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with tomato mixture. Let stand a few minutes to allow juices to soak into bread before serving.

NEW RECIPES FOR 2009

TSATSIKI
Gourmet | May 2008 Adapted from Estiatorio Milos

Serve this yogurt-based Greek staple as a first-course accompaniment to pitas and other breads, or as a light but creamy sauce drizzled over spiced roasted meats. Yield: Makes about 1 cup

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt (preferably goat's or sheep's milk)
Accompaniments: pita wedges or chips

Toss cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a colander and drain 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then whisk together with olive oil, yogurt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Squeeze out any excess water from cucumbers with your hands, then stir cucumbers into yogurt mixture. Season with salt.

CUCUMBER NORI ROLLS
Epicurious | 1999 California Sushi Academy, Venice Beach, CA
Yield: Makes 12 cucumber rolls

Sushi Zu:
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Rice:
2 cups sushi rice
3 cups water
Sushi:
1/2 sheet of seaweed (nori)
Sesame seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon prepared wasabi
3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced into long thin strips (matchstick size)

Sushi Zu Preparation:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Take off of the heat and allow to cool.
Rice Preparation:
Rice volume increases 2-2 1/2 times as it cooks. Almost all the short grain rice needs to be washed before cooking, because of the starch on the surface of each grain. If you cook rice without washing, starch makes the texture and taste less palatable. The following is the procedure to prepare rice: Wash rice with care, putting rice in a big bowl and washing gently with cold running water for 10 minutes. Drain rice in a big colander and dry for 20-30 minutes. Place washed rice and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Allow to cook for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Place in a large bowl and pour over Sushi Zu mixture.
Sushi Preparation:
Place 1/2 sheet of seaweed (nori) lengthwise, shinny side down on a bamboo roller. Place approximately 3 ounces of sushi rice formed into a bar in the center of the seaweed, going lengthwise, spread rice evenly, covering entire nori except for about 1/2 inch at the top edge. Spread wasabi thinly in the center, on top of the rice, lengthwise from one and to the other. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of rice, if desired. Then place a couple strips of cut cucumber in the center to fill the length of the roll.
Bring seaweed and rice toward you to the edge of the bamboo roller and holding the edge of the bamboo roller with one hand and, holding the cucumbers in place with the other hand, lift up the edge of the mat closest to you. Begin rolling mat away from you, rolling over the cucumber and connecting rice to rice. Then stop to make sure you still have a 1/2 inch strip of just nori left over at the top (this is what seals the roll). Lift the edge of bamboo roller slightly and roll another 1/2 inch away from you connecting the seaweed to seaweed and sealing the roll.
Gently squeeze both sides while pressing gently down on top with both index fingers. Cut roll in half, then turn one piece around so they are parallel to one another, line them up, then cut both pieces twice, to make 6 pieces. Cut remaining rolls and serve.

THAI CUCUMBER SALAD    allrecipes.com
Serves 4

3 large cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Toss the cucumbers with the salt in a colander, and leave in the sink to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Whisk together the sugar and vinegar in a mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro; toss to combine. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top before serving.

GREEK ORZO SALAD     allrecipes.com
Serves 6

1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
2 (6 ounce) cans marinated artichoke hearts
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 (2 ounce) can black olives, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid. In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator. Just before serving, drizzle reserved artichoke marinade over salad.

MID-SUMMER ITALIAN BREAD SALAD    allrecipes.com
Serves 4

1 clove garlic
1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chopped fresh basil
1/8 cup chopped fresh thyme or summer savory
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Rub a peeled clove of garlic around a wooden salad bowl. Pull apart or chop the bread into bite-size pieces. In the prepared salad bowl, combine the bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, garlic, basil and thyme. Add enough olive oil and vinegar to lightly coat, toss and serve.