May Lee of Mhonpaj’s Garden gave us her recipe for cucumber salad and it’s fresh, vibrant, and bursting with flavor! Grab some cucumbers from May (or another vendor who offers cucumbers) plus a handful of other simple ingredients to make this crisp and refreshing summer salad. Serves 4-6 as a side dish. Photos by Iglika Petrova
May’s Sweet & Sour Cucumber Salad
By May Lee
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt, we used kosher
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 lime or lemon, quartered
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tray of cucumbers 4-5 (medium to large)
- 2-3 cloves of peeled garlic (optional)
- Hot chili pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Cut the cucumbers (keep the skin on) into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick), and set aside in a bowl.
- Place salt, sugar, chili pepper flakes and garlic (if using) in the mortar and crush together with the pestle, until a rough paste is formed and the oils of the garlic are released (about 30 seconds).
- Add 2 of the lime (or lemon) wedges and to the mortar and crush gently against the walls of the mortar with the pestle until the juice of the lime or lemon is released.
- Add the remaining lime or lemon wedges to the mortar and repeat the process. NOTE: The rind adds a unique and slightly bitter flavor to the dish (which is balanced by the sugar), however, if you prefer, you can juice the lime (lemon) instead and use the juice only.
- Add the fish sauce to the mortar. Working in batches (if your mortar is on the smaller side as mine was) gently press the cucumber slices against the side of the mortar with the pestle to allow the cucumber to break down a bit and absorb the flavors. Remove the cucumbers to a serving bowl, leave the dressing into the mortar and repeat adding batches of sliced cucumbers and repeating the process until you smash all the cucumbers.
- Pour the dressing over the cucumbers in the serving bowl. Remove the crushed lime or lemon wedges if you wish before serving. Enjoy!
