#recipe: Cool down with these collard greens and cucumber rollups

The phrase “cool as a cucumber”, written by the English poet and dramatist John Gay, is an idyllic Ayurvedic idiom. Cucumbers are a summer vegetable that can have an inner temperature up to 20 degrees cooler than the ambient temperature.

An accumulation of summer heat can heighten emotions, creating impatience, anger, and agitation. Physical manifestations of excess heat can cause imbalances of the liver, gallbladder, urinary bladder, blood, skin, and eyes. Luckily, the cooling and calming nature of cucumbers can help pacify such a preponderance of provoked pitta, the Ayurvedic dosha that works in concert with kapha and vata to regulate body temperature, metabolic processes and hormones.

Cucumber has the ability to act internally as a blood cleanser, moisturizer, diuretic, blood pressure stabilizer, and detoxifier. Applying cucumber directly to the skin reduces puffiness and redness, too.

Enjoy these cucumber rice rolls and soothe the symptoms of summer’s sizzle.

What you’ll need for Cucumber Squash rollups:

• 1 cup white basmati rice, soaked overnight & rinsed well
• 2.5 cups water
• 1 medium yellow squash, cubed
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground fennel
• 2 tsp mineral salt
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 bunch chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp toasted shredded coconut
• 6 large swiss chard or collard green leaves, very lightly steamed (this can be done while the rice and veggies are cooking)

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized pot, melt the ghee and stir in the cumin, fennel, and salt.
2. Add the rice, squash, and carrot, stirring to coat it in the ghee and spces.
3. Add the water, bring the rice and vegetables to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cover.
4. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked and squash and carrots are tender.
5. Remove the rice & veggies from the heat, mix in the lime juice, coconut, and cilantro.
6. Spoon some of the mixture onto each of the leaves, and roll them up.

Serves 4 as a side dish. 

This recipe by Diana Bellofatto originally appeared on artoflivingretreatcenter.org/blog