cucumber boats

August 9, 2013 • Nancy Wolfson-Moche

A loud rain fell all night long and I dreamed of boats. These cucumber boats are also a super diy project with kids.  Scoop out the cuke seeds, present a variety of fillings and toppings, and see what they invent!  If a child makes something, chances are very good that they will taste it; very often they will enjoy it too… at least the first 5 bites.

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serves 4

INgredients

2 large cucumbers

5 oz tofu (about 1/3 of a package of The Bridge)

6 Tablespoons hummus

6 Tablespoons carrot miso dressing (see July 31st post: salad of field greens with carrot miso dressing)

1 teaspoon umeboshi plum vinegar

Eden sesame sea vegetable shake

a few dill leaves

a sprig of mint (tiny leaves)

one scallion

3 snap peas

5-6 edible flowers

1 small raw beet

1 small carrot

Process

Wash the cucumbers, dill, mint, scallion, snap peas and flowers well.

Slice the cucumbers in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds, creating a crater for filling.

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Make the tofu spread: wash the tofu well and place it in a stainless steel or glass bowl.  Use a wooden spoon to mash it. Add 1 teaspoon umeboshi plum vinegar and mix well.

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Prepare the toppings: chop the dill, scallions and snap peas into small pieces. Peel the beet and grate it using the medium-size setting on a box grater.

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Fill two of the cucumber halves with the tofu spread. Top one with sliced snap peas and grated beets;

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top the other with the sesame sea vegetable shake.

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Wash and clean the carrot; slice it into matchsticks and use two as “masts” on either end of the boat.

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Fill one of the other halves with hummus. Top with chopped dill, tiny mint leaves and edible flowers.

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Fill the other half with carrot miso dressing.  Top with sliced scallions, snap peas and grated beet.

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Cut the “boat” into sections, arrange on a plate and serve.

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Icing on the Cake: Testimonials

I loved Ms. Nancy’s cooking class so much.! I have been in this cooking class for two years and I would love to sign up for another one. I tried a lot of new foods like winter squash, cardamom, Brussels sprouts and kale. My favorite salad was the kiwi, carrot, radish salad.
Not only did we cook and eat, we also did labs about food. We used rulers to measure the size of plants. We also explored stone fruits and their ripe season. Now in my house we have window boxes and I am growing cherry tomatoes and basil.
I learned that we can use a lot of different tools to cook, not just our hands and senses. We used safety knives, potato peelers and a carrot sharpener (I wonder if you could sharpen a pencil with it?) !!!
Because of this class I can help papi make dinner and I will try any new food at least once to see if I like it. Thank you, Ms. Nancy for making cooking fun and interesting and helping me be excited about food.

- Love, K (a 7-year-old boy).