Cucumbers and Blue Bunny ice cream buckets will forever be entwined in my memories. A bucketful of sliced bread and butter pickles were always a staple in my childhood refrigerator. My mother sliced fresh cucumbers out of her summer garden, and we’d watch and wait for them to pickle as they sat in a vinegar-y mix in their bucket in the fridge. While these pickled, we ate salted cucumber slices, quarter cucumbers in salad, and, of course, a couple slices would end up on our closed eyelids as a refreshing treat!
These days, our CSA cucumbers have been eaten with chickpeas, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, sliced with salt, tried in our water bottles, and used to cool our eyes and skin in the heat of summertime in the city. I’ve thought about pickling a few and have a large mason jar waiting to turn our big, green, caterpillar cucumbers into beautiful bread and butter butterflies.
Our latest favorites have been:
Cucumber and Chickpea Salad
- 16 oz chickpeas, drained
- 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cucumber and Tomato Salad Snack
- 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
- 1 medium tomato, cut into large chunks
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
This one has been a great afternoon or evening snack around here! It satisfies a little salt craving and has just the right crunchiness. With the little bit of vinegar, it also encourages us to drink a little more water in the evening as well!
Along with our veggie adventures, we’ve also been trying to get outside a little more and take advantage of some of the wonderful summertime activities in NYC. The free kayaking on the Hudson is on our list this year, along with regular walks and even just taking our basketball to the park nearby and shooting a few hoops. It’s amazing how simply you can entertain yourself and your family in a way that’s both healthy and relaxing for you and the environment! What low-impact entertainment have you found to do this summer?
Enjoy!
– Lacy
Forest Hills CSA 