Late summer in central Wisconsin means a fruit salad made with fresh, free, and fabulous tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil.
Yes, tomatoes AND cucumbers are, botanically speaking, fruits.
Culinarily speaking, they’re vegetables, but who really cares anyway?
What matters is that they’re delicious and nutritious. And they both have some potential benefits for your skin and your soul.
Plants like cucumbers and tomatoes give abundantly, even in relatively small spaces. And there is almost always enough to share with family, friends, neighbors, and cute woodland creatures.
Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and are also a good source of vitamins A and B, potassium, and magnesium.
Lycopene, for which there is some evidence of anti-cancer activity, gives them their rich red color. Lycopene can also decrease your sensitivity to harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun (NOT a substitute for sunscreen).
Cucumbers, which are ~95% water, are a great source of… water!
The cooling effect (“cool as a cucumber”) is likely attributable to this, which is why you’ll find cucumber in plenty of skincare products (who remembers this?!), not to mention over the eyes of spa-goers in TV and film.
Hydration is a critical part of maintaining a healthy skin barrier. This helps prevent itching and eczema.
Cucumbers are also rich in fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, and calcium. The low glycemic index protects against insulin resistance and diabetes, and the fiber content is great for gut health.
To extract the most benefit from your cucumbers, ditch the peeler. The larger the cucumber, the more bitter and tough the peel tends to be, so I prefer smaller cucumbers that are often used for pickling.
I like to dress mine with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, course sea salt (Maldon is my favorite), and cracked black pepper.
What’s your favorite late summer salad? Let us know in the comments.
