Pickled Cucumber Salad

I love cucumber salad when Surferman takes me for sushi.  From lots of recipes, I've developed this one to make and enjoy at home.  It's crunchy, refreshing and a great way to get an extra serving of vegetables into your day.

Pickled Cucumber Salad

ingredients:

salad

cucumber washed and sliced thin

carrots washed and sliced thin (optional)

radishes washed and sliced thin (optional)

daikon radish washed and sliced thin (optional)

I always make a huge batch.  My family loves it and we happily eat it all week.  

Until recently, I didn't think I liked radishes. Radishes keep coming in our CSA box, so I gave them a try. Rarely, they are too hot, but usually they are crispy and refreshing like water. If you don't think you like radishes, pick up a daikon radish and give it a try. Daikon is very mild and a great place to start with radishes.

dressing:

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 c. fish sauce

1 tsp grated giner

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 tsp brown sugar

These are the ingredients you might not have on hand.  I buy the Fish Sauce in the "oriental section" at the grocery store.  It is a thin brown liquid.  I understand it's made from dried fish, which doesn't sound super appealing, but give it a chance.  It has a salty taste and is really the magic ingredient in this salad.  The Ginger paste comes from the produce department.  It's refrigerated.  You can grate fresh ginger instead.  The paste is soooo easy though.

directions:

Slice the vegetables into a plastic or glass container.  I use a hand-held mandolin to slice the veggies thin.  Use cucumbers and add the other vegetables as available.

I scrub the vegetables well, but don't remove any of the peels.  

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over vegetables.  Stir well and let sit (the longer the better) before serving.  

Enjoy!