Cucumber Salad

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my school? Penn State is the only place I know where I can get fresh cucumbers in the beginning of April. But maybe I should back up a little. I'm a Plant Science major (formerly called the Horticulture Major) and have access to the green houses. This year, Penn State began offering a class that teaches the science of hydroponics and aquaponics. Although I'm not in this class, I have friends that are kind enough to give me extras from their harvest.

(My Classroom)

 This class is currently growing cucumbers and tomatoes hydroponically and lettuce and micro-greens aquaponically. Okay so here goes my best explanation of hydroponics:

Plants are grown in little to no media, typically in a greenhouse. Each plant is watered and fertilized through a irrigation line that is stuck into the growing media. Crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers are staked on vertical lines which give the stem extra support. For the past 3 or 4 weeks, students have harvested bushels and bushels of cucumbers. Hydroponics is just one of many new practices of sustainable agriculture. Growing media, water, and fertilization is monitored so nothing goes to waste. Methods such as these can lead to the increase of urban agriculture and could provide cities with access to fresher produce.

(Baby Cucumbers)

(Cucumber plants growning in bags of media with an irrigation line down the middle.)

(Penn State's Hydroponic Room)

(Some of the harvest, and that's a 8" knife to give you an idea of how large hydroponic cucs can grow)

But back to the cucumbers- just because they weren't grown in a field doesn't mean they lack that cool, refreshing flavor. These cucs tasted just as good, if not better than its field grown counter part. My go-to cucumber recipe is cucumber salad with sour cream. I used to work at a produce farm with my sister and my boss would make this throughout the summer. And I loved it! I never had cuc salad before I started working, but now it always reminds me of those long summer days, working at the farm market.

Ingredients:

Cucumbers (sliced)--- 3
Sour Cream--- 8oz
Distilled White Vinegar--- 1/4 CUP
Red Onion (chopped)--- 3/4 CUP
Fresh Dill (chopped)--- 1 TBSP
Sugar--- 2 TBSP
Salt and Pepper--- Pinch

STEP BY STEP:

• Peel and cut cucumbers (my mom runs a fork vertically across the cucs too, just for decoration)

• In a mixing bowl, combine cucumbers, onion, dill, sour cream, vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper

• Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. This allows the cucumbers to absorb the other flavors of the salad

Enjoy!