Deliciousness

Cooling Cucumber “Companionment”

This recipe was inspired by my housemate who was craving something cooling last night for dinner. Here in Seattle we have been enjoying (some not so much) temperature highs in the 80s! For a Vata constitution like myself, I am in heaven when it is “hotter than hell” for others, especially native Seattleites such as my housemate.  As temperatures hung steady in the high 70s, conceived in a desire for something cooling, this salsa of sorts grew from the contents of the fridge. My housemates and I don’t often get the opportunity to share dinner together, so this creation was my grateful offering as their dinner companion. It proved a tasty, “cooling” accompaniment to the hearty tamari glazed tempeh and the green beans almondine, and in traditional Eryn fashion, adding a “bite of spice” to the occasion as well.

Try this as a tasty “companionment” to BBQ, honey-glazed or other “hearty” meat dishes as well; it compliments nicely.

Ingredients

½ organic medium red onion

1 large or 3 small organic English cucumbers (can also use pickling cucs for a tangier salsa)

3 medium sized organic radishes

1 medium organic plum, pitted

½ c fresh organic dill, finely chopped

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

⅛ c dulse snipped (optional)

½ tsp chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper or dash of cayenne pepper, not both (optional)

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Slice red onion into paper thin slivers into a small sized serving bowl.
3. Add a ⅛ tsp sea salt to the bowl and mix gently.
4. Quarter and seed cucumbers:

1. Wash cucumbers in cool water.
2. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise
3. Lay the halves flesh side down on the cutting board and cut the halves in half lengthwise again.
4. Pick up one of the cucumber quarter so that flesh faces upward; position your knife over the top of the seeds and using a downward motion, slice down diagonally to strip away the seeds in one segment. Discard seeds.
5. Repeat with remaining cucumber quarters.

5. Shave cucumbers on the diagonal to create ribbons:
1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel seeded cucumber quarters on their edge to create ribbons into bowl with red onion and mix gently to combine. Take care that as the cucumber becomes thinner not to catch your fingers in peeler. Continue with all cucumber quarters.
6. Wash and scrub radishes to remove any dirt.
7. Slice radishes into quarters.
8. Shave radish quarters: using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, carefully shave radish quarters into bowl with the cucumber ribbons and red onion and mix gently to combine.
9. Slice plum in half lengthwise and repeat to create 8 slices.
10. Broil plum slices for 3 mins, rotating to other side of flesh half-way through.
11. While plums broil, add finely chopped dill, grated ginger and optional snipped dulse and jalapeno to bowl with veggies and mix gently to combine.
12. Remove plums from heat; turn off oven and chop plums into thinner segments
13. Add plums to bowl and stir to combine
14. Add fresh ground black pepper and optional dash of cayenne
15. Add additional sea salt to taste