Crazy for Cukes
Monday, May 28, 2012 at 2:01AM 
Congratulations to Melinda G from Missouri who won our Picnic Time English-style willow basket sweepstakes! We hope you'll have plenty of opportunity to use it this summer.
Sandy's out on vacation having fun in Japan this week. In her stead, Catherine Pantsios, one of our stellar Special Fork Food Editors is sharing her latest obsession: Thai Cucumber Peanut Salad.
I guess it’s pretty obvious where the phrase “cool as a cucumber” comes from—there’s no denying this crisp green fruit (yes, cukes are a fruit, not a vegetable) is a sure-fire refresher on a hot day. Cucumbers have a bright, yet subtle flavor that blends well with many flavor palettes, whether it’s in a Russian salad with sour cream and dill; a Japanese quick pickle with rice vinegar, soy sauce and a touch of sugar; or a fiery Korean kimchi.
The cucumber salad I’ve been obsessed with lately combines the Southeast Asian seasoning triumvirate of lime juice, fish sauce and sugar with whole spices that are “popped” in oil using a traditional Indian technique. The key to success is to have the spices measured out and ready to go next to your stove, so that the mustard seeds don’t overcook while you’re hunting in your spice cabinet for the cumin. You’ll also want to have the salad ingredients waiting in a bowl so you can pour the aromatic spices and oil over them with no delay.
This salad is very flexible—I’ve used mint instead of cilantro, left out the chiles when I didn’t have any in the fridge, and used a dash of soy sauce in place of salt. And of course, feel free to adjust the proportions of lime juice, fish sauce and sugar to suit your personal taste.
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Thai Cucumber Peanut Salad
Makes 4 servings
1 unwaxed English cucumber
1/2 cup toasted unsweetened large-flake coconut
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1-2 green serrano chiles, stemmed and minced (remove seeds if you like less heat)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1-2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- With a vegetable peeler, peel cucumber, leaving a few strips of peel. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds with a spoon. Cut cucumber into 1/2-inch strips and cut strips across into 1/2-inch dice. In a bowl, toss together cucumber, coconut, peanuts, chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and salt.
- In a small skillet, heat coconut or vegetable oil over medium heat. When hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop, add cumin and cook 5-10 seconds more or just until cumin begins to turn a shade darker—don’t let it burn or it will taste bitter. Immediately pour spices and oil over cucumber mixture and toss together. Transfer salad to a bowl or platter and sprinkle cilantro on top. Serve immediately.
Catherine Pantsios is the Culinary Supervisor of the Ketchum Food Center in San Francisco, the national culinary center for the global public relations agency. She is responsible for everything from developing original recipes to researching and writing on culinary topics. Catherine has many years of experience as a cook and chef at restaurants around the country, including nearly 10 years as chef-proprietor of the acclaimed Zola’s restaurant in San Francisco. She has also taught both professional and avocational cooking classes and worked as a private chef.
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Reader Comments (1)
Hi! In Traditional Chinese Medicine, cucumber is a food with exceptional healing power: Clears heat from the body to alleviate fevers and summer heat and prevent heat stroke Benefits the kidneys and bladder and can heal kidney and bladder infectionsThe alkalinity of the minerals in cucumber juice effectively neutralizes acidity