Special Note: This lovely salad makes a beautiful presentation for family or guests.  It’s quick and easy to prepare, and full of vitality.

Ingredients

2        Organic English Cucumbers, outer skin scored or fluted; 1 for salad, & 1 for the wrap
¼ cup  Red Onion, julienned sliced, or as few or many as desired
½ cup  Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half or
3        Roma Tomatoes, diced
1        Avocado, diced
8        Basil leaves, chiffonade style  

Creamy Dressing

½        Medium zucchini
¼ cup  Grapeseed Oil
2        Basil leaves
¼ cup  Sundried Tomatoes, dried
2        Green onions, or
2 TB  Dried Chives
1 sm   Garlic clove
Small piece of Jalapeno, to taste
2 TB  Lemon or Lime Juice
½ tsp  Salt

Alternate for dressing:

If you want it creamier, use 1 avocado instead of the oil and zucchini.  Can be used as a dip or spread on crackers or sandwiches.

Preparation for salad:

1. Using a special fluting peeler to peel the cucumbers.  If you don’t have the tool, score down the outside with a fork for a fancier cut.
2. Dice one cucumber in thin rings then cut in quarters
3. Lightly mix all veggies together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, being careful not to mash the avocados
4. Blend Dressing ingredients in a high speed blended till creamy
5. Fold dressing into salad and mix well
6. Using a 1 cup measuring cup, scoop up some salad, turn upside down on a serving dish.
7. Thinly slice down an English cucumber to make long strips the width of the cucumber.
8. Use the slice like a ribbon and wrap around the salad. Secure with a smooth toothpick.
9. Top with a sprig of Basil and halved grape tomato

Serves 4

Points of interest:

• Cucumbers – contain most of the vitamins you need every day, such as a variety of B’s, C and many minerals
• Got grubs in your garden: – Place a few slices in a small pie tin to allow a chemical reaction create a smell to repel the little critters.
• Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
• Tired  puffy eyes? Place a slice of cool cucumber over closed eyes for refresher
• Beneficial as a digestive aid as it contains enzyme erepsin to digest proteins
• High in potassium
• Helps normalize blood pressure and rhythm
• Strengthen bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles due to high silica content
• Cools and relieves itching, sunburn and inflammation from insect stings, poison ivy and sunburn
• Avocados – help prevent anemia due to its iron and copper contents
• Improves hair and skin quality and is used in many cosmetics
• Soothes the digestive tract
• Has cholesterol-lowering properties; decreasing LDL & increasing HDL