It might surprise you to know that the cucumber is the fourth most cultivated vegetable in the world. The three in front of it in the rankings are tomatoes, cabbage and onion. This is quite an amazing fact given that it is not the most versatile of vegetables.  It tastes refreshing but generally it is eaten raw rather than cooked which limits how it can be used for culinary purposes. Generaly though, it is a mainstay of salad type dishes around the world. The English use it in dainty cucumber sandwiches, in Chinese and other great Asian food cultures it is one of the most important accompaniments and ingredients and the Mediterranean diets wouldn’t be the same without a good fresh cucumber salad.

Cucumber is also used widely in the cosmetics industry not only as extracts in body and skincare products but in home remedies. What woman hasn’t used cucumber circles to reduce eye redness at least once in their lives? Of course, a glass of Pimms wouldn’t be the same without a slice of cucumber to decorate the glass.

Every host should have at least one cucumber salad in their repertoire. They go with just about anything and are perfect for summer or winter.

Here’s a simple cucumber salad:

1-2 large cucumbers
6-8 fresh basil leaves
2-3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

• Peel the cucumbers, then cut in chunks
• “chiffonade” the basil (stack the leaves, roll them up like a cigar and slice really thinly with a sharp knife)
• Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix gently
• Can be served immediately or chill for later

Barbecued food is always even more tasty when it’s served with a great choice of salads and sometimes simplicity wins over a mass of ingredients with competing flavours. Here’s a zingy cucumber salad recipe to add just the right complement to grilled food.

Cucumber and onion salad

2 large cucumbers
1 large onion
¾  cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 -8 tablespoons sugar
¼  teaspoon
1 tablespoon sesame seed, you can add it but not necessary

• Slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can (use a food processor or mandolin if available)
• Slice the onions wafer thin and separate
• Put both vegetables in a bowl
• Add all the other ingredients and gently mix with your hands
• Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour

You can add a bit of crunch to this cucumber salad recipe by sprinkling in a tablespoon of sesame seeds before serving.

To finish this small round up of cucumber salad recipes here’s how to combine cucumber with sour cream in a typical Eastern European and North African Mediterranean dish.

Creamy cucumber salad

4 medium cucumbers
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp salad oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp fresh dill

• Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers
• Put into a large bowl
• Mix together all the other ingredients except for the dill
• Pour the mix over the cucumber
• Toss gently
• Chop the dill and sprinkle over the cucumber mix
• Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least an hour

 There you have it: 3 simple cucumber salad recipes to delight anyone.