Cucumber
Crisp, cooling and hydrating, the crunch in half the salads I make.
Why I love it
It brings water and freshness to everything, salads, tzatziki, a glass of infused water, a snack with hummus. Cool and clean, it's summer on a plate.
Buying it
Firm, deep-green and heavy, with no soft or wrinkled spots. Persian and English cucumbers have thin skins and few seeds, no peeling needed.
Storing it
Keep them in the warmer part of the fridge (they don't love deep cold) and use within a few days; they go soft quickly once cut.
Using it
Dice into Israeli salad, grate into tzatziki, slice for a board or a snack with hummus, or add to infused water.
A little nutrition
Mostly water, with a little vitamin K and potassium, hydrating, cooling, and almost no calories.
For tzatziki, grate the cucumber and squeeze out the water in a towel first, or the sauce turns watery.