Cucumber - This amazing Vegetable!

THE LIFE SAVING CUCUMBER

The amazing green cucumber - has many heath benefits - according to a post on Facebook - Cucumber will help you lose weight and is the Cure for Diabetes.  

That's right you read it here second.  I know this could be true, but is any one really willing to eat cucumber on a regular basis.  I challenge anyone who reads this to put it to the test.

1.  Every time you eat something you know is not good for or too much of a good thing, do #2 below.
2.  Eat cucumber in every meal for the next 24 hours.

I will help.  I am going to work cucumber into all my next blogs and writings.

The Wonderful, Yet Unbelievable Cucumber Diet.

You heard it here and it will change your life:

Here's the first blog about cucumber.  There is one and only Cucumber or is there?


According to the local foods.about.com website there are about 5 varieties: Armenian, English Cucumber, Garden Cucumbers or American Slicing, Kirby, Lemon and Persian.

So let's see what kind of ways we can incorporate cucumbers into our food:
I am going to try and write every recipe from my 1952 "Meta Given's Encyclopedia of Cooking" cook book written, organized, and developed by Meta Hortense Given in 1947.  Below you will find the recipe with as modern updates as possible in relationship to the original recipe.

The first recipe is Egg Salad Sandwich on page 1353:
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Recipe name:  CUCUMBER AND EGG SALAD SANDWICH FILLING
The ingredients are listed by the way in which they should be added to the recipe.  This is how Meta Given believed in listing items within her recipes.
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped | 1 Egg                         1/2 tsp. salt       | 1/8 tsp.
3/4 cup diced cucumber          | 1/2                                   Dash Pepper   | same
1 or 2 teaspoons finely            |  1 tsp.                        2  tblsp. Mayonnaise,   | 2 tsp.
           chopped onion                                                       (p. 1323) mixed with 1/4 tsp.
                                                                                           prepared mustard    | 1/16 tsp.

Combine all ingredients lightly but thoroughly; use immediately as filling for sandwiches.  Makes about 1 cup filling, sufficient for 5 sandwiches. (for 1 has resized amounts)

Updates:  You can substitute egg white for egg (use 2 egg whites), substitute salt for other spices that you like and for the mayonnaise you can make the recipe on p. 1323, or from the jar and use either regular or light.  Regarding the bread, you can choose any bread of your choice.  They can be made or purchased at your personal likes.  Also, works as a wrap.
Original Recipe by: Meta Given from the "Meta Given Encyclopedia of Cooking," page 1353
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Recipe Name:  MAYONNAISE
1 tsp. dry mustard                                                       2 egg yolks (whites with thickener rice flour)
1 tsp. salt                                                                      1/4 cup cider vinegar or
2 tsp. confectioners' sugar                                                  lemon juice, chilled
dash cayenne pepper                                                  2 1/2 cups salad oil, chilled
  
Blend dry ingredients in mixing bowl.  Add unbeaten egg yolks and mix well; then add 1/2 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice.  Add a few drops of oil, beating in with a rotary beater or electric mixer.  Add a few drops of oil, beating in with a rotary beater or electric mixer.  Continue adding oil by drops, beating thoroughly after each addition, until about 2 tablespoons oil have been added and the mixture has thickened.  Beating in a little vinegar, and then continue adding oil by teaspoons until 2 more tablespoons have been used.  As mixture thickens, oil may be added in larger quantities, beating well after each addition.  Add vinegar to thin the mixture whenever it becomes very stiff.  Continue adding oil and vinegar with continued beating until all has been used.  Makes 1 pint.
Note: If oil is added too rapidly at first mayonnaise will not thicken; but this thin mixture may be beaten into another egg yolk, a little at a time, and the rest of oil and vinegar added when the new mixture has thickened up.

Update:
Substitute egg yolks with egg whites and a thickener like rice flour or corn starch (both are gluten free).  Lower the amount of salt, to an agreeable level (1/8 to 1/2 tsp.)  Swap out salad oil with olive oil.

 Original Recipe by: Meta Given from the "Meta Given Encyclopedia of Cooking," page1323
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Local food dot about dot com that gives a list and descriptions of various cucumber types:

http://localfoods.about.com/od/summer/tp/cucumbertypes.htm

Previous post about Diet Pattern taken from "Meta Given's Encyclopedia of Cooking" cookbook from the 1953 copy that I have. 
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