Ahhh, the Versatile Cuke

If you check online, there are even more ways to use your foodstuffs to solve life's everyday problems.  Here are some of my favorites using cucumbers:

1. Looking for an alternative to a bottle 'energy drink'? Pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of  B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
 
2. Are your garden plants being devoured by bugs?  Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy!

3. Trying to keep those nasty yellow jackets (bees) off your picnic table without spraying your food with bug spray?  We carve cucumbers into flower-like medallions and nestle them among the sweet foodstuffs like table decor.  This really saves us at the Farmer's Market in late summer!


4. If our staff forgets to shine up their shoes before leaving for a catering event, we rub a freshly cut cucumber on their shoes! Organic chemicals from the cucumber will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

5. At a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber from your salad and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath - the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.  Works for a romantic dinner, too!!

6. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks ... and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.


Wishing you good digestion!

Chef Alan