Recipe: Sesame Cucumber Salad

I have a cucumber problem: suddenly I have armfuls of giant, prickly cukes in my garden. They’re called Suyo Long Cucumbers and most gardeners would say there’s not a lot to do with such a large fruit and ideally, they should be picked before reaching such a massive size. That one in the photo above weighed in at 1 1/4 pounds. And I’ve seen bigger.

The thing with these guys, though, is that they do not lack in flavor as you might expect them to. Sure, they’ve grown some seeds, but I don’t mind eating a few seeds. There is energy in seeds. Plus, it turns out, one 1 1/4 pound cucumber makes a mighty fine Asian-inspired salad for four.

We had this last night alongside burgers and blue cheese. It was a perfect end of summer meal.

Sesame Cucumber Salad
serves 4-6

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons tamari (soy sauce)
1 1/2 teaspoons citrus juice (lemon, lime or orange)
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 to 1-1/2 pounds cucumber, ends discarded, peeled if desired, and sliced as thin as possible
2 tablespoons total chopped herbs (basil, cilantro and/or chives)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl or cup and whisk until emulsified. In a mixing bowl, toss dressing with cucumbers, herbs and sesame seeds. Transfer to a serving bowl, or plate.