Ontario Greenhouse Vegetables | Cucumbers
I recently went on a tour of an Ontario cucumber greenhouse, what a great experience. I learned many things about growing cucumbers in Ontario and enjoyed the company of many other Healthcare Food Service providers interested in Fresh and Local produce.
I wanted to share some of the interesting facts and a few great recipes with the Kitchen Heat readers, which I am going to break out over the next 3 weeks.
This week, we’re featuring GREENHOUSE CUCUMBERS!
Interesting Facts:
- The skin of a cucumber is rich in fibre and contains many nutrients. It is completely edible, so be sure not to peel them!
- Greenhouse cucumbers are not pollinated, so they are seedless. This is especially helpful for preventing gas caused from eating cucumber seeds.
- STORAGE TIP: To maintain freshness, colour and natural moisture, seedless cucumbers are sealed in plastic wrap. Store in a cool, dry place or your refrigerator crisper.
The Recipe:
Greek Summer Salad
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp. (90 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp. (45 ml) red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. (30 g) fresh oregano, minced
- ¼ tsp. (2 g) dried oregano
- 1 ½ tsp. (23 ml) lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp. (3 g) salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- ½ cup (125 g) red onion, sliced
- 1 Ontario greenhouse cucumber, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts, torn into bite size pieces
- 2 cups (500 g) Ontario greenhouse cocktail tomatoes, halved
- 1 Ontario greenhouse red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch wide strips*
- ¼ cup (63 ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (63 g) fresh mint, minced
- ¾ cup (189 g) kalamata olives, pitted
- 5 oz. (142 g) feta cheese, crumbled
Method
- Whisk the first 8 ingredients together in a bowl large enough to hold the entire salad.
- Add the onion and Ontario greenhouse cucumber, then marinate for 20 minutes.
- Add the romaine lettuce hearts, Ontario greenhouse peppers and tomatoes and mint and toss.
- Arrange the salad on a platter or divide evenly on serving plates.
- Sprinkle with kalamata olives and feta cheese
Roasting
Coat peppers with a light layer of vegetable oil. Rotate peppers over open flame, either on a bbq or gas stove, until peppers turn black and blister. If an open flame isn’t available, a broiler can be used.
Slice the pepper in half and remove the core, seeds and membrane. On a broiler plate, place peppers open side down and broil until skins are black and blistered. Cover peppers in a bowl and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Peel the black skin off.
serves 4
Nutritional Facts per serving (327 g): Calories 400 Fat 37 g (57 %), Saturated Fat 9 g + Trans Fat 0 g (45 %), Cholesterol 35 mg, Sodium 1150 mg (48 %), Carbohydrate 15 g (5 %), Fibre 3 g (12%), Sugars 7 g, Protein 8 g, Vit A (20 %), Vit C (140 %), Calcium (25 %), Iron (15 %). % = % Daily Value
Source: ontariogreenhouse.com
