making cucumber cups

I wanted to quickly share the method for making cucumber cups with you all, since they can be filled with a variety of homemade or store-bought dips to become a perfect healthful appetizer...or a fun after school snack vessel.  I make them with English cucumbers, which are available at most supermarkets, usually wrapped in plastic. They tend to be long and thin. Sometimes called "seedless" they have an almost sweet flavor and a delicate skin.

Simply wash the cucumber, and I like to shave off about half of the skin with a veggie peeler, because it makes the cups look decorative. But that is purely optional. Slice the cucumber into 1" rounds. Using a small spoon, or melon baller, gently scoop out the center of each cucumber slice, going about 1/3" down. You want to leave the base of the cucumber slice in tact so it makes a cup.

Reserve the insides of the cucumber as a fun "half-moon" shaped snack for kids....

How easy was that?

I like to place the cucumber cups face down on a paper towel so that some of the moisture drains out of the cups while I am making the filling.

A few of my favorite fillings: lucky black-eyed pea dip (pictured above), spicy soy-chorizo dip (pictured here in action), bright green pea dip, store bought hummus or homemade edamame hummus.