Summer Fest: Cucumber and Shrimp Boat

Food that looks good almost always tastes better. Our Cucumber and Shrimp Boat is one fun way to increase the amount of healthy veggies your family eats on a regular basis.  Here's the scoop on the vegetables you'll be serving.Long before salad lettuce was common in the South, the cucumber was King. This is a vegetable that's been prized for 10,000 years, for good reason. Cukes, with their high water content, are helpful in the absorption of dietary fiber. Cucumbers are a good source of vitamins C and A, potassium, magnesium, and silica. There is evidence that including cucumbers in a low-fat, balanced diet, can help to reduce high blood pressure.Fresh slicing cucumbers are best from May through July, ready to cool us down as the weather heats up. Look for thicker veggies with rounded, unwrinkled ends. If you run into them at the store or the farmer's market, give the white varieties a try.Cruciferous veggies--including turnip greens--eaten 3 to 5 times a week can help to prevent cancer. While all contain valuable antioxidants, turnip greens contain the most vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and manganese. They're an excellent source of vitamin K and and other naturally occurring anti-inflammatories.  All cruciferous veggies help the body to detoxify and keep our cells clean.The  all-natural seasoned turnip greens in our Sensibly Seasoned line of products are lower in sodium, vegan, fat-free, and preservative-free. We've already slow-simmered these locally grown, calcium-rich greens in a savory broth with onions, garlic, and our favorite Southern spices, to save you time.Get creative with the shape of your boats. It's perfectly OK for them to look like canoes.  Mostly girls in the family? Top each one with an edible flower before serving. Mostly boys? Add a flag or toy soldier.Have fun, and enjoy!

Cucumber and Shrimp Boat

Serves: 14-16 Size: 7-8 Portions per half of a cucumber

Ingredients

Cucumber Boat1 English cucumber, washed and dried1 green onion, sliced thinShrimp Salad10 oz. frozen salad shrimp (titi shrimp), thawed, drained, dried1-1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise3/4 tablespoon hot sauce (we recommend our Spicy Vidalia Hot Sauce)1/2 teaspoon pimentos, diced 1/4" and drainedGreens and Cream Cheese Mix2 oz. cream cheese, softened1/2 14.5 oz. Glory Foods® Sensibly Seasoned™ Turnip Greens, drain and squeezed lightly till dry, chopped roughly3 tablespoons pimentos, diced 1/4" and drained

Directions

Prepare the Cucumber Boats

1. Split the cucumber evenly lengthwise.  Shave the skin side to assure the cucumber will sit flat, skin-side down.
2. Using the tip of a teaspoon, carefully remove the seeds, loosening the cucumber to create a cavity the length of the cucumber, approximately 1/2" deep.

Shrimp Salad

1. Place the frozen shrimp in a colander and drain into a bowl in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Place the thawed shrimp in-between several paper towels and press slightly to remove excess moisture.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Place in the refrigerator to keep cool.

Greens and Cream Cheese Mix

1. Mix the cream cheese, turnip greens, and 3 tablespoons of pimentos until ll ingredients are well combined and smooth.

Assemble the Cucumber Boats

1. Fill the cavity of the cucumber half way up with a smooth layer of greens cream cheese mix and leave a 1/4" border on the sides from the skin to the edge of the cavity.
2. Top the greens and cream cheese mix firmly with the shrimp salad, approximately 3/4" high the length of the cucumber.  Refrigerate for an hour or so to set up.
3. Portion each half assembled cucumber into 7 to 8 evenly spaced diagonal pieces.  Place the portions on a serving tray and garnish with green onions.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate till ready to serve. May be held up to 4-6 hours prior to serving.

Summer Fest Cucumber Week

It's cucumber week at Food Network’s Summer Fest, a season-long food and garden celebration where Food Network editors team up with blogs to share tips and recipes for Summer’s best fruits and vegetables.Every two weeks, we'll talk about one of the topics below:August 3: CherriesAugust 17: CornAugust 31: TomatoesSeptember 14: BroccoliWhat’s your favorite way to eat cucumbers? Do you have a tip for working with cucumbers that you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments, or join in the conversation on Twitter using the hash tag #cookingwith.Be sure to visit the other Summer Fest blog posts for even more ideas for using cucumbers this summer:

• Pinch My Salt: Chilled Cucumber, Kefir and Avocado Soup
• What’s Gaby Cooking: Cucumber-Basil Gimlet
• In Jennie’s Kitchen: Radish-Cucumber Crostini
• Big Girl Small Kitchen: Spicy Cucumber Salad with Shallot, Ginger and Mint
• Grecian Kitchen: Summer Cucumber Salad
• And Love It Too: Cucumber, Mint and Watermelon Salad
• Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumbers Coolers with Agave Simple Syrup
• Cooking With My Kid: Cucumber Limeade
• FN Dish: Summer Fest: Cucumber Recipes
• CIA Dropout: Relishing Cucumbers
• Healthy Eats: Cool Cucumber Soup
• Food for 7 Stages of Life: Cucumber Cherry Salsa
• Cooking With Elise: Green Tea Cucumber Pops
• Virtually Vegan Mama: Fire-Roasted Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho
• Food2: When Life Gives You Cucumbers, Make a Cucumber Cocktail
• Cooking Channel: Cucumbers Stuffed with Crab-Mango Salad
• Recipe Girl: Bread and Butter Pickles
• Taste With the Eyes: Spicy Pickled Cucumbers with Wakame and Garlic Blossoms
• Virtually Homemade: Cold Thai Cucumber-Mint Soup
• Add a Pinch: Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
• The Cultural Dish: Ahi Tuna with Cucumber Sauce and Salad
• Daily*Dishin: Cool n’ Zesty Cukes: 7 Minute Summer in a Jar
• Daydreamer Desserts: Cubanita Margarita
• Purple Cook: Cucumber Gazpacho with Indian Flavored Shrimp Relish
• Indian Simmer: Cucumber at its Best with Chaat Masala
• Big Apple Nosh: Quick and Easy Homemade Pickles
• Sweet Life Bake: Agua de Pepino
• The Sensitive Epicure: Tzatziki with Grilled Gluten-Free Pitas and Fresh Cucumbers and Peppers
• Zaika Zabardast: Cucumber Gazpacho
• A Way to Garden: Cucumber-Growing Q&A and the Best Pickles
• Cooking with Books: Summer Fest: Cucumbers