This is a great summer dish that doesn’t take much time to make but it is much better if it has time to chill and come together in the fridge in order for it to really hit home. This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in NYTimes Cooking and we paired it with a Fish Pie for a great summer evening meal. The ginger, sesame sauce has a bit of a kick (from the chili powder) that can be dialed up or down depending on your preference.
For this you’ll need: x2 medium cucumbers (thinly sliced), x1 yellow and x1 orange bell pepper (cored and thinly sliced), 1 bunch scallions (thinly sliced), 2 Tbsp white or red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 garlic clove (minced or grated), 1″ fresh ginger (peeled and grated), 1/4 tsp chili powder, 2 Tbsp sesame oil, 3 Tbsp grape seed oil, salt and pepper.
Place the sliced cucumbers in a large colander and sprinkle some salt over the top. Set aside and let sit for 15 min then rinse and lay out on a kitchen towel in a single layer to remove the excess water.
In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, grated ginger, chili, and grated garlic. Then add the sesame and grape seed oils and whisk everything together again until well combined.
Place the cucumber, peppers and scallions in a medium serving bowl, add the ginger/soy sauce and toss everything together well with your hands or a wooden spoon.
Place a plate or some plastic wrap over the bowl and place it into the fridge for at least an hour, but hopefully more, to adequately chill and meld the flavors together. Serve cold directly from the fridge.
Dinner at Our Place 