This is my favorite way to eat cucumbers. I am including this recipe now as my indoor salad garden is starting to have crunchy little Persian cucumbers. They have almost taken over the garden, but there are still Tatsoi and Red Russian Kale and some garlic chives. New lettuce and more Tatsoi have just sprouted in the incubator garden. There is also a poor man’s tarragon or Mexican Marigold that is in bloom and several stock that are not. The empty pots were just planted with Japanese turnip seeds. I already harvest one and it was very delicious. Some plants turned out better than others, but this was an experimental garden. The radicchio was very good and the fennel was ok, but I won’t try zucchini or cauliflower or eggplants again. The eggplants were beautiful until the ants attacked them. Tatsoi is my favorite Brassica for this garden. It is a beautiful specimen and delicious either raw or cooked. I eat it a lot in ramen or congee.
Dressing
- 4 Tbsp Rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup, vegan sugar, mokruirdate
- 1/2 tsp Coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 Piece Shreaded konbu kelp (optional, not used if wakame is used)
Cucumbers
- 1 Tbsp dried wakame (optional)
- 2 Japanese or Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 small radish (optional)
Variation
- 1/2 Tbsp Toasted black and/or sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 oz Boiled octupus (non-vegetarian option)
- 4 Pieces Imitation Crab (non-vegatarian option)
- 2 Tbsp Chirimen Jako, semi-dried baby anchovies ( non-vegetarian)
- 2 Tbsp Kamaage or Shirasu, not dried, boiled baby anchovies (non-vegetarian
Soak dried wakame seaweed (if using) in water and let it rehydrate for 10 minutes.
Make dressing. A small piece of shredded kelp may be added to dressing if wakame is not used. Mix with other dressing ingredients to let kelp rehydrate and let flavors mature.
Peel the cucumbers’ skin alternately to create stripes. Then slice them and radish, if used, thinly into rounds. May use slicer disk in food processor, if using many cucumbers. Sprinkle with kosher salt and gently rub slices against each other. Set aside for 5 minutes. Salt helps draw liquid from cucumbers so that the liquid from the cucumbers will not be released after mixing with seasoning.
Squeeze water out from wakame seaweed (if used) and cucumber. Add them into the bowl with seasoning and coat well.
Place in pickle press or in bowl and press with another bowl filled with water or clean stone. Let rest for at least 3 hours. Does not keep well. This step may be omitted.
Toast sesame seeds, if using, and sprinkle as garnish.
Does not keep well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
May be made with English cucumber, but double dressing and other ingredients. American cucumbers do not work well, but can be used if peeled completely and seeds removed. One English or Large American cucumber makes 3-4 servings.
NOTE: Chirimen Jako or Kamaage/Shirasu. also known as whitebait, are types of small fish that can be found in refrigerated section of Japanese markets.
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