.jpg)
For those of you with a cucumber crop coming in, I'm here to help. I have two cucumber salads/dips (you can go with either) that put together a lot of green and a lot of flavor.
My first salad/dip calls for a medley of green produce –crunchy toasted pistachios (the toasting enhances the flavor and makes the green stand out), coarsely peeled cucumbers so you have that dark green stripe going on for added color, some smooth avocado slices, the cooling zest and juice of a lime, and the verdant herbalishness of chopped cilantro. Even better when you have cilantro plants in your garden which are getting ready to set seed and are producing those lovely little raw coriander seeds. I like to pick these while they’re still green and use them to embellish my dishes. They offer a bright pop of intense cilantro flavor plus a delicious side kick of citrus.
Cucumber and Avocado Salad
Slice the avocado in half, score it vertically and horizontally and drop into a medium sized bowl with the zest and juice of the lime. Toss to coat. The citrus will keep the avocado from browning. Add in the red onion, pistachios, cilantro, and feta cheese. Add the chili/lime seasoning to the olive oil, mix well, and pour over rest of ingredients. Combine well. Refrigerate before serving.
My second salad/dip again calls for lush greenery – cucumbers, mint, lime, and cilantro - with the added crunch of fried chickpeas.
.
Cucumber and Chick Pea Salad
1 cucumber, coarsely peeled and diced
½ cup dried garbanzo beans (chick peas), cooked
Cornstarch (enough to coat chick peas)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Neutral flavored oil (About ¼ cup)
1-2 tsps curry powder (Taste test)
Zest and juice of one lime
⅓ cup chopped mint
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
⅓ cup chopped parsley
1 tomato, peeled and diced
1 small sweet red pepper, diced
To cook garbanzo beans, add them to a medium pan with about 1 quart salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook slowly for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain. Pat dry.
Dice the cucumber and put in colander. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of kosher salt over the cuke and let drain for an hour.
In a medium skillet, heat oil to about 360°. While oil is heating, toss the cooked garbanzo beans with the cornstarch to coat. Place in fine-mesh sieve and shake to remove excess cornstarch.
Add beans to hot oil and fry 5-7 minutes, turning, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with curry powder, salt, and pepper, to taste. Toss to coat.
Discard drained cucumber liquid and wipe out the bowl. Add the cucumbers, lime zest and juice, chopped mint, cilantro, and parsley, tomato, and pepper. Stir in fried garbanzo beans. Taste test and add additional seasoning if needed.
I served both cucumber dishes with my homemade tortilla wedges, which you can season as I have in the recipe, or add a little this, add a little that, and make them your own
Seasoned Tortilla Triangles
12 6-inch flour tortillas (6 tortillas, cut into wedges, will cover one 13 x18-inch baking sheet)
Onto each baking sheet, pour 2 TB neutral oil and place 3 TB butter. Put in 300° oven until butter melts. Swirl the oil and butter around until evenly combined.
Cut a stack of tortillas into ⅛s. Dredge each tortilla triangle through the oil/butter and wedge them side by side on baking sheet. Season evenly with a light sprinkling of garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, and chile lime seasoning. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate pan, and bake another 10 minutes, or until triangles are crisp and light golden.
Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment