This cucumber salad is so simple, it hardly needs a recipe.
Persian cucumbers are the perfect texture for this salad and are often less bitter than other varieties.
Summer in subtropical Taiwan, perhaps.
Photo:Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans
When I was growing up, my mother always had a garden in our backyard.
But the garden was my mothers territory, not mine.
I much preferred harvesting cucumbers, although it wasnt without risk.
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans
She preferred to grow the smaller gherkins.
Jewish cucumbers, she called them, as most Midwesterners used them to make dill pickles.
My mothers cucumber salad was influenced by her upbringing in 1940s Taiwan.
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans
She would slice the rounded nub off one end of the fruit and then the other.
Makes it less bitter, she said.
Id much rather buy my produce at a grocery store, or maybe a farmers market.
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans
But during the early days of the pandemic, I came around to growing my own cucumbers.
I was ordering groceries for both my family and my mother, who lives across town.
Not only did they have slicing cucumbers and pickling cucumbers, but they had so many varieties!
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans
I chose a Japanese breed, similar to an English cucumber, but smaller and thinner.
The seeds arrived in beautiful ecru paper envelopes adorned with simple botanical drawings.
I tore pop swing open the pack, treasuring the translucent teardrops.
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans
Spring turned to summer, and summer turned to fire season.
I had my own supply of cucumbers, cool and crisp and not a thorn in sight.
It was more than enough for both myself and my mother.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Cut off and discard cucumber ends; cut the cucumbers in half crosswise.
Cut each chunk in half lengthwise.
Smash each section with the side of a cleaver or chefs knife.
Cut each smashed piece crosswise into 12- to 1-inch pieces.
Place the cucumbers in a medium bowl; sprinkle with kosher salt, tossing gently to distribute the salt.
Let stand for 15 minutes.
Dress the cucumbers with the vinegar-sugar mixture.
Add garlic and sea salt; toss lightly.
Tip
Sea salt comes in different grain sizes based on how its processed.
Medium-grain sea salt is great for finishing this salad.
Look for sea salt labeled medium grain or coarse in the spice aisle of major grocery stores.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan).History.
