Cucumber salads are one of my favorites in the spring time. Just as lettuce production winds down with hot weather, the crunchy, juicy, cool flavor of cucumbers is the perfect base for many types of salads. We don’t wax our cucumbers, so you don’t necessarily need to peel them unless you don’t like the skin. Here are a few ideas:
Sesame-Cucumber Salad
Slice cucumbers into half moons. Add sliced daikon, grated carrots, thinly sliced scallions, and julienned kohlrabi. Dress with a few dashes of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy! You can add chili flakes if you like.
Lemon-Dill Cucumber Salad
Slice cucumbers into half moons. Add grated carrots and thinly sliced sweet onions. Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh dill. Dress with a splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper. (Note: slicing the onions first and letting them sit in the lemon juice will mellow their flavor).
For a fancy touch, peel your cucumber while it’s whole. Then take a fork and drag along the length of the cucumber to leave little lines in the side. Then slice into half moons. This little bit of texture holds more dressing and flavor and looks really cute!