NYT Chinese Sesame Cucumbers

It's been quite the whirlwind of a summer, folks. Already we're more than halfway through and I'm wishing I'd been more productive. To be fair, I've been working, but I've also been doing things for me, like reading, visiting family/friends, gardening, and cooking.

Speaking of those last two, this year I decided to grow cucumbers for the first time. Shana loves cucumbers. Our CSA was selling garden plants, so I picked one variety of cucumber to try. The variety I picked, Diva, is amazing! I don't love cucumber, but even I like these ones. I wasn't prepared to like the cucumbers, but I was even less prepared for how well they seem to be doing. I think the vines grew multiple inches per day and I'm pretty sure the cucumbers just magically appear.

Before I started growing them, we'd often receive a cucumber a week in our CSA box, which was just enough to put on a salad or Shana to eat as a snack. However, with the rate that they grow, I needed a recipe that used a lot of cucumber. Shana reminded me of one we'd had at a potluck years ago and it fit the bill perfectly.

This cool summer cucumber salad is a great side dish, snack, or appetizer that doesn't heat up the kitchen when summer temperatures soar. Plus, it's delicious and will keep you coming back for more.

That's part of my garden in the background! 

NYT Chinese Sesame Cucumbers
This is slightly edited from a recipe posted in the New York Times Cooking Section.

Ingredients
4, ~6 inch cucumbers
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus a large pinch, separated
2 tsp. sugar, plus a large pinch, separated
1 1/2 T. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 T. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. light olive oil (or other neutral-tasting oil)
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1 T. toasted sesame seeds

Directions
1. Cut off the ends of the cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise.
2. Lay cucumbers cut side down on a cutting board and use a large flat knife, a frying pan, or something similar to press the cucumbers until the skins begin to crack (see Helpful Hints).
3. Flip the cucumbers over and use the back of the knife edge to help remove any seeds. How much you need to do this will vary based on your cucumbers.
4. Cut the cucumbers into bite sized pieces and then toss them with the large pinches of salt and sugar. When well mixed, put them in a colander over the sink to drain for about 20-30 minutes (see photo).
5. While the cucumbers are draining, make the dressing. Combine the salt, sugar, and vinegar, stirring well, then add the oils, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper, and sesame seeds, mixing to combine.
6. Shake the cucumbers a bit, then pour them into a bowl and add the dressing. Stir well and serve immediately.

Helpful Hints

• I find that using a large knife works best for me to press the cucumbers. I press down in sections along each piece of cucumber, so I know that it all gets squished. 
• Using tamari in place of soy sauce will make this a gluten-free dish. 
• If you like spice, feel free to use a bit of chili oil in place of some of the neutral-tasting oil as listed, either keeping or removing the red-pepper flakes. 

The post "NYT Sesame Cucumbers" first appeared on Maggie's LesVegan Kitchen.