Keep it cool as

Give yourself a refreshing lift with these quick, crisp and light cucumber dishes, says NZ House & Garden’s Sally Butters.

Iced cucumber & mint green tea

This delicious beverage is simple to make and a snazzy twist on regular iced tea.

6 green tea bags

1⁄4 cup brown sugar

1⁄4 cup liquid honey

4 cups boiling water Handful of mint leaves 1 telegraph cucumber, chopped 1 lemon, juiced

To serve: Ice, extra cucumber

and mint

Place tea bags in a heat-resistant jug with brown sugar and honey. Pour over the boiling water and stir until sugar dissolves.

Add mint leaves and leave to cool. Add chopped cucumber and place in the fridge for at least an hour to chill.

Mix in lemon juice then strain. Serve in glasses over ice with slices of cucumber and mint leaves to garnish.

Serves 4

Chilled cucumber & avocado soup

Avocado and coconut cream give this cool soup a luxurious richness. Serve it in small glasses, topped with grilled prawns, for a sophisticated pre-dinner taster.

1 cucumber

1 avocado

Small handful of coriander leaves 3 spring onions, roughly chopped 1 large lime, juiced

1 cup chilled water

Dash of fish sauce

1 cup coconut cream

To serve (optional): extra cucumber, grilled prawns, pea shoots

Peel cucumber, remove the seeds and roughly chop flesh. Place in a blender with avocado flesh, coriander leaves, spring onions, lime juice and chilled water. Add fish sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Blend until smooth then mix in coconut cream and adjust seasoning to taste. Chill until ready to serve. Serve garnished with finely chopped cubes of cucumber, grilled prawns and pea shoots if desired.

Serves 8 in tasting glasses

Quick pickled cucumbers

This is known as a refrigerator pickle – so-called because you keep it in the fridge and gobble it up in a few days, as opposed to preserved pickles that you can store in the pantry for months. It makes a delicious side to just about anything but is particularly fabulous with smoked salmon.

2 telegraph cucumbers

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 thumb ginger, peeled and finely

sliced

Good pinch of chilli flakes

1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar 1⁄4 cup caster sugar Flaky sea salt

Peel long ribbons from the cucumbers (discard the seedy centres) and place in a bowl with the shallot, ginger and chilli flakes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat rice wine vinegar for 20 seconds then stir in caster sugar until dissolved. Pour mixture over the cucumber and combine, seasoning to taste with flaky sea salt.

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Pickle will keep covered in the fridge for several days.

Makes about 1 cup

Clockwise from main photo: quick pickled cucumbers, chilled cucumber & avocado soup, iced cucumber & mint green tea. MANJA WACHSMUTH A dozen or so tomato plants will keep an average family well supplied throughout the summer. Below: transplant seedlings deeper than their original depth.