Tutorial - How to Make Cucumber Curls

  Today's lunch is made from simple leftovers - pork chops and rice. Pretty plain food, so I decided to dress it up with some colorful fruit and vegetables: sugar snap peas, carrots, grape tomatoes, watermelon, and a Cucumber Curl! I'll show you how to make one:

 

  First, you need to get a long flat slice of cucumber.  The easiest way to get uniform slices of cucumber is with one of these peelers - it's wider than a regular potato peeler.

 I bought mine at an asian market, but I found a few here that would work nicely:

1. Peel off a few long strips from the cucumber until there is a flat surface ( or cut it in half lengthwise, but I just used the peeler)

2. Slowly peel one long, uniformly thin slice of cucumber, leaving the peel visible for decoration.

3. Roll up the cucumber slice in your fingers. Don't try to make the beginning of the roll too tight, or it will crack.

4. Stick a pick through it to secure it. Easy!

 There are lots of cute picks you could use to add a touch of fun to a lunch, or a relish tray at a party. Here are just a few ideas:

   Try this with other vegetables too - carrots, zucchini - what other long, colorful veggies could you use - eggplant, maybe?

  There are SO many picks you could use with these cucumber curls, here are some ideas: