That’s why they say it’s cool as a cuke

Stop me if I’ve told you this story, but earlier this summer I was infected with ehrlichiosis by some horrible small bug and I had a very high fever for several days and was sick for weeks. 

During that time, all I wanted to eat was white rice and cucumbers. 

When I was discussing this with a friend who is a nutritional counselor, he said that cucumbers are known to lower body temperature. This probably explains why they are so popular in hot, damp countries such as Thailand and India.

After a couple days of moderately intense internet research I still can’t tell you exactly why cucumbers have this effect on the body; they just do.

But apparently, these bland green tubers have lots and lots of magical qualities and are an unsung super food. 

If you grew up in the 1960s and 1970s (and are female) you probably know that cucumber slices placed on your eyes can reduce puffiness. They are also supposed to relieve some of the pain and swelling that come with sunburns. Again, not sure why this is true, although it might be because cucumbers have a mineral called silica, which is apparently the key to lovely, healthy, dewy skin. 

Silica is also “the essential component that aids in developing strong and healthy connective tissues in the muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and bone,” according to an article at the website www.organicfacts.net.

Cucumbers are supposed to neutralize acid in your digestive tract and they are believed to clean waste and toxins out of your body. 

They have a Glycemic Index of zero, making them an excellent snack for diabetics — especially because they also have a hormone that the body’s beta cells use while producing insulin. If you eat them regularly, it’s also supposed to help you regulate your blood pressure.

There is a lot of magnesium in them, which improves blood circulation and helps calm your nerves.

Best of all, cucumbers have so much water in them that they are super-hydrating (that might actually be the reason, or part of the reason, why they lower your body temperature).

I don’t think I would be this gung-ho about cucumbers if so many new and wonderful varieties hadn’t been introduced in recent years. 

A regular big whale of a cucumber, with waxy skin and big seeds, isn’t that appealing to me. What I really like are the smaller, crisper cucumbers that come in many forms. 

There are the small Kirby cukes, which used to be mainly a pickling cucumber. There are the long graceful English cucumbers (which always come wrapped in a plastic sheath). Recently it’s been easier to find a smaller version of the English cucumber that is sometimes called a “Persian” cucumber.

My tennis-playing companion Amy Lake and her husband, Al Ginouves, have been growing a really interesting, delicious cucumber this season. They shared one with me; it’s in the photo, above. As you can see, its skin is deeply furrowed and has small spike-like protrusions. The flesh inside is dense and crisp and crunchy. The seeds are almost non-existent. So delicious. 

Amy also shared this recipe, which was given to her by Natalie Holland, from a cookbook whose title I can’t determine.

Spicy cucumber spears

2 pounds Kirby or other dense cucumbers, rinsed, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of chile pepper flakes or a prepared spicy chili sauce such as the one from Thai Kitchen, 2 tablespoons of minced or grated fresh ginger, 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar.

Trim the ends of the cucumbers and cut them in half, lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Cut each half into 3-inch pieces and then cut each of those pieces lengthwise into quarter-inch-thick slices. Put the pieces in a bowl, add the salt and toss to coat. Let them stand for an hour at room temperature and then put them in a colander and rinse them with cold running water. Shake them dry and then put them in a bowl.

To make the dressing, heat a wok or heavy saucepan. Add the sesame oil and heat until it’s very hot. Add the chile flakes or sauce and heat for about 10 seconds, shaking or stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and cover the pan for 10 minutes. 

A handwritten note on the side of this recipe says, “I didn’t heat the dressing!”

Stir the ginger and rice vinegar into the chili oil. Add it to the cucumbers and toss it to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pickles for at least three hours. They should last for about a week in your refrigerator and will keep getting more and more tasty over time.