Paradox Blog

Summertime and cucumber seem a perfect combination. Be it on the side, as garnish or pickled by itself as a whole dish, cucumber brings down the heat visually and with its taste. The many varieties of cucumber all have the same effect. The ones that I used most often are those that do not require peeling, not the most common variety that has tough and waxed skin. I like to work with the "Hot House" English cucumber or the slender and smaller in size Japanese variety. Both have crisp skin that add color and crunchiness to a dish. Cucumbers are easy to prepare. You can eat it raw. Many Vietnamese rice dishes serve up cucumber and tomato slices along side their barbecued meat. Pickled, they are a cool side dish to Japanese broiled fish dishes or Cantonese barbecue pork, soy sauce chicken and roasted duck dishes. It is also great by itself like the garlic marinated version, very simple to do:

Garlic Marinated Cucumber 

One English Cucumber or four Japanese variety ones
1 teasp salt
1 teasp sugar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tblsp soy sauce
1 tblsp sesame oil

Cut cucumber lengthwise into four long quarters, then cut into two-inch long sections. Marinate cucumber with salt and sugar for 15 minutes. Rinse off with water, drain well. Then Marinate with soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic. Chilled before serving. Make four 3/4-cup servings.