Seasonal Eats: Summertime Cucumber Refreshers

As the weather warms up, it's a good time to build your arsenal of refreshing summer snacks. This is a place where cucumbers shine front and center due to their high water content and mild flavor. As a member of the gourd family, cucumbers grow on vines that do well on trellises, and can be grown through much of the year in temperate climates like ours here in Los Angeles.

Depending on the variety, the thickness of the skin may vary. If you can do without peeling your cucumbers, you'll be taking advantage of the vitamin A found in the skin. Cucumbers have a glycemic load of 1 and are a good source of vitamin A, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese, and a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium. Many people enjoy the benefits of cucumber applied to the skin, so if you're one of them, save a few slices for your DIY-facial preps.

5 refreshing preps for cucumber:

• Take advantage of green heirloom tomatoes, gather your favorite green vegetables and herbs, and blend up a summertime green gazpacho.
• Ditch the crackers and chips, slice up your cucumber and pile it high with delicious h'ors d'oeuvre dressings: salmon and cucumber boats
• One of my favorite ways to showcase cucumber is in a sunomono salad with cucumber and wakame.
• Go Greek with the bright flavors of garlic, cucumber, dill and lemon in a tangy tzatziki.
• Take your potato salad to new heights with cucumber and radishes in this lovely dilled potato and pickled cucumber salad.