Summer is the perfect time to skip the heavy dishes and opt for something lighter. What's a better starting point than cooking with cucumbers? An essential part of salads, appetizers and even soups, check out three of the Atlanta restaurants cooking up something refreshing with this versatile ingredient.
1540 Avenue Place Suite B-230, Atlanta. 678-927-9131. thegeneralmuir.com
Good luck visiting this Emory Point establishment and trying to stick to the light fare: with to-die-for bagels, excellent latkes and a killer matzoh ball soup, there's plenty of temptation beyond their refreshing cucumber salad. But the cucumber and dill side dish is the perfect complement to the restaurant's heavier, more filling fare, and those looking for a snack on a summer day will find satisfaction here.
999 Brady Ave. NW, Atlanta. 678-733-8550. millerunion.com
This farm-to-table restaurant has been touted as one of Atlanta's best since it first opened in 2009, an unsurprising feat considering chef and co-owner Steven Satterfield's regular nods for national culinary awards. The restaurant particularly shines when it comes to fresh vegetable dishes, and the peach, cucumber, blackberry and arugula salad is no exception. A refreshing pre-meal dish for a night out or satisfying, healthy snack with a cocktail, this fruity salad is a great way to enjoy cucumbers at one of the gems of the Atlanta restaurant scene.
Various local farmer's markets. madmamagourmet.com
Cucumbers may not be well known as a key ingredient for soups, but Mad Mama Gourmet just might be the culinary entity that changes that. The traveling stand, operated by Amy Smith, sells unique soups made fresh from natural ingredients, and while they offer up to nine flavors at each opportunity, many of the stand's cold gazpacho offerings have included cucumber as a key ingredient since its beginnings. From "liquid tzatziki," a cold cucumber soup with greek inspiration, to the "Southern Spanish Garden Gazpacho," which includes grated cucumber, it's only a matter of time until Smith cooks up another cucumber-centric dish that's perfect for summer.
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