Foodies London: Salad Awareness Day!

Ann's next Foodie London walk is on Saturday. here's she is…
You might not have noticed that today (March 6) is Salad Awareness Day, celebrating the first of this year’s crop of cucumbers from the Lea Valley. Growers there produce 80 million cucumbers a year –three quarters of the UK crop.
You may like cucumber in your salad, but you might not want to kill for them. The Cucumber King, who reigned in Thailand in the 10th Century, was originally a cucumber farmer. When the king ate some of his cucumbers without paying for them, the farmer killed him. The queen then substituted the farmer for her late husband, and he transformed his cucumber plantation into a fine garden.
Cool as a cucumber? Not too cool, apparently. Instructions from the cucumber Growers’ Association warn that fridges are too cold for cucumbers, and that this is why they rot so quickly. You need to keep your cucumber at a temperature between 10-20 degrees C – or you can wrap it in a tea towel and take your chance with the fridge.

For more foodie thoughts, join my walk this Saturday, March 9 - Pie Crust to Upper Crust, 10.45 am at Embankment tube.
A London Walk costs £9 – £7 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.