Have you been outside lately? Seriously. I work from home and just looking out the window I can see how hot it is. I have to say though, I kind of love it.

I grew up in Phoenix and the intense heat must have changed something in my DNA because I’m all over this sunny weather. Being a former desert dweller I’ve picked up a few tips for handling the heat.

1. Choose your outfit carefully so you don’t accidentally give yourself crazy tan lines. Seriously, one day outside in the wrong outfit will ruin you for the whole summer.
2. Invest in good sunscreen. You’d be surprised how many big name sunscreens do not hold up. Go read this report from EWG immediately after reading the rest of this post.
3. The best hot weather veggie is the cucumber. Hands down. Tomatoes are delicious, but the cucumber is what you need if you’re spending a lot of time outside.

Cucumbers are a natural addition to summer time salads. They add substance, a nice crunch, and their high water content has a lovely cooling effect.

Would it surprise you to know that the lettuce in your salad has more nutrients than the cucumber?

Check out this side by side comparison. Each data sheet is for 1 gram. You’d be eating a bit more than that in a salad, but it’s a great way to compare the inherent nutrition when the quantity is the same.

Surprising, right? They’re about equal in calories, but the vitamins and minerals are seriously lacking in cucumbers!

I’m absolutely not saying that you should stop eating cucumber. Far from it. They may not be a nutritional superfood but they have excellent flavor and texture.

If you think sliced cucumbers in a salad are boring you’re going to love this round up of 9 ways to cut a cucumber. Add extra texture, crunch, and charm to any summertime dish with these techniques.

Try serving your salad with a side of cucumber spears from She Likes Food.

This is a great video to show how simple it is to dice a cucumber.

How to use an apple corer and a veggie peeler to make thick cucumber ribbons with the always fun, ever so charming Karen from Art of Doing stuff.

You can also make straight cucumber ribbons. Amanda from the Wholesome Dish uses this technique for some seriously yummy looking Mediterranean cucumber rolls.

Julienne a cucumber to create symmetrical match sticks. Watch the video here.

Simply cut a cucumber in half and scrape out the seeds to make boat slices from Bite Delight.

Use a fork and melon baller to make the cutest little cucumber cupcakes with hummus from Creative Kid Snacks.

How to make cucumber cups like a chef and cucumber "paper" to use as a wrap.

Both techniques are in this video.

Let's take those everyday veggies and transform them into something amazing!

This is a lesson that will forever change the way you see ingredients!

You'll receive the ebook and three printable guides to help you analyze the flavors and textures of each ingredient - then turn them in to a masterpiece!

I still use these guides any time I work with a new ingredient or need a dose of inspiration!

Are you ready to make the best salad you've ever eaten?!