5 Cool as a Cucumber Recipes

There’s a bumper crop of cukes at the market: here are our favourite recipes for nature’s naturally coolest fruit.

While Vancouver is finally get the rain it needs, and Calgary weather folks are calling for a dip in temperatures later this week, we’ve still got some summer left in us, and cucumbers are a perfectly summery veg. Small cukes will always have smaller seeds—which isn’t always a big deal, particularly for recipes that call for seed removal. Look for firm varieties that feel good when you squeeze them—no soft spots—and store them in your crisper. 

1. Spirit Bear Cucumber Collins

Cucumbers were made for summer drinks, like this one from Urban Distilleries 

2. Tuna Tartare with Lemon Coulis in a Cucumber Cup

This recipe from chefs Daniel Boulud and Dale MacKayis a perfect gluten-free appetizer. 

3. Hubbub Watermelon salad with cucumber

Vancouver restaurant Hubbub pairs two of nature’s most cooling treats: watermelon and cucumber. 

4. Pan-Seared Wild Pacific Salmon with Cucumber Salad

This surprisingly simple recipe gets its brightness from a combination of balsamic and maple syrup. 

5. Simply Good Dill Pickles

Crisp and tangy, these pickles can be garlicky or not, spicy or not, to suit your own taste. But be sure to use plenty of nice, fresh dill—both the heads and leaves.