Planting Cucumbers
Cucumbers are annual plants, which means they need to be replanted each growing season. The size of fruits vary depending on the type and some varieties are better for pickling (i.e. “pickling cukes”) vs. slicing (“long slicing” varieties). The plant has large leaves and trailing vines. When grown on the ground, the vines can sprawl as far as 8-10 feet. Bush varieties take up less room, and there’s also the option to grow the vines vertically. This article gives some great tips on growing cucumbers on a trellis, which is an attractive, space-saving option. The phrase “cool as a cucumber” is very apt, since the interior of a cucumber is often 20 degrees cooler than the outside air on a hot summer day.

Recipe: Tzatziki

Ingredients:
16 oz (2 c) of plain and thick Greek yogurt,
4-10 cloves of finely-chopped garlic,
1/2 cup diced or grated cucumber,
1 tablespoon olive oil,
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Combine oil and lemon juice in medium mixing bowl. Add in the yogurt slowly, making sure it mixes completely with the oil. Add garlic, according to taste, and cucumber. Stir until evenly distributed. Dill can be added as garnish if desired. Tzatziki is good on sandwiches, as a salad dressing, or in Mediterranean dishes like falafel, to name a few uses. Source: greekfood.about.com

Recipe: Thai Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
3 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

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

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