Cucumber Towers

Cucumber Towers and an Apologetic Admission....

And now I will admit why I owe my sister Heidi a big tray of chocolate glazed oatmeal bars (scroll down if you missed that recipe): My husband and I are on day four of a lovely trip through the Canadian Rockies. That's right, just me and Quiet Man, on a quiet trip through a quiet part of a quiet lovely country. Ah, peace and quiet. But.....Poor little sister Heidi. She's watching my two children while we are away listening to all the quiet. Both of my charges are loud and one of them is especially boisterous and also a bit on the cuckoo side. I won't tell you which one, but he is five and he is male and he would rather carry a light saber than learn addition. Do you think Heidi will be OK? She has her own light saber toting five year old male (remember we were pregnant together) and he is every bit as cuckoo as mine, only they are both synergisticly more so when together. I can't be certain that they will ever come in doors or dry off or speak anything resembling English this week. Poor, poor Heidi. Maybe I should make her two trays of chocolate oatmeal bars.

As part of our quiet trip through the Rockies, we stopped at a small independently owned cucumber farm just outside of Edmonton, Alberta. The gracious farmer and his accommodating wife let us look around the facility and poke our camera through the greenhouse. They specialized in my favorite variety, the English cucumber, which is thin skinned and crunchy and virtually seedless. Crisp and refreshing, they're perfect for plain eating and for raw recipes. Just don't use them for pickles, as they tend to be a little mushy since their thin skin doesn't offer much resistance.

For a refreshing appetizer or light lunch, peel (or not) a cucumber and cut it into small sections, between two and four inches long. Hollow out the center with a small spoon, being careful not to cut through the bottom. You're half way there to making a pretty and clever little cucumber tower. I'll make some of these for Helper Heidi, too. And anything else in the world that she wants.

Cucumber Towers:

Estimated Cost: $2.00

Fill the cucumbers with any of the following:

cottage cheese and cilantro

cream cheese mixed with feta and mint

blue cheese, chopped walnuts and plain yogurt

hummus and paprika

chopped tomatoes,olive oil, and basil

mango, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice

black olive tapenade

raita

potato salad

egg salad

chicken or lobster salad
or try your own favorite dip

Two little love bird cucumbers.... Don't they look like an old married couple? Or is it young newlyweds? All I know is that I feel like both on this 13 year old second honeymoon of mine.

Coming Tomorrow:
Tuscan Travel Sandwich