Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Soy Sesame Marinated Cucumbers

Soy Sesame Marinated Cucumbers

Tangy, sweet and spicy flavors hit your mouth when you bite into these cool and crunchy cukes

Soy Sesame Marinated Cucumbers | Farm Fresh Feasts

I'm on a mission to add more side dishes to my recipe index (the one on the right, with the drop down menus) this summer. While I have included cucumbers in a host of recipes (see the Visual Recipe Index) I didn't have a stand alone cucumber recipe until this one.

I don't grow cucumbers, but in addition to the cukes from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share I'm fortunate to work with generous gardeners who share their bounty. When I was at work last week I picked up a few beauties--then I needed to find a use for them!

Soy Sesame Marinated Cucumbers | Farm Fresh Feasts

While I was thumbing through The Party Party Party Cookbook put out by the Potomac Curling Club (for my Fritter recipe), I saw a recipe for Jim Macpherson's Cucumber Salad. The flavors looked like something my family would like, so I whipped up a batch. Good! Then I tweaked the recipe a little but (cutting the Tabasco, swapping honey for sugar, and finishing with a garnish of sesame seeds) and decided it was blog-worthy. 

I brought this to a picnic last week. The entree was catered by a BBQ place. These cool, crunchy cucumbers fit in nicely with the usual sides. They were easy to transport--I just brought the marinated cucumbers in a mason jar, dumped it into a bowl, then added the sesame seeds.

Soy Sesame Marinated Cucumbers | Farm Fresh Feasts

NOTE:  The marinade for these cucumbers keeps a few days, and can be reused. I made multiple 2 cucumber batches using the same batch. After a day the cucumbers get softer, but are still flavorful. I recommend keeping the mixed up marinade and adding fresh cucumbers a few hours before you wish to serve.

Soy Sesame Marinated Cucumbers | Farm Fresh Feasts

Soy Sesame Cucumbers (adapted from Jim Macpherson's Cucumber Salad)

4 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup honey or sugar
8 teaspoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher)
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks (about 4 cups of cucumber chunks)
1 Tablespoon dark sesame seeds for serving

In a large bowl, whisk first 6 ingredients until combined. Add cucumbers, and mix until coated. Chill for at least 2 hours. Before serving, remove from marinade (can be saved in a jar, see NOTE above) and sprinkle with dark sesame seeds.

Soy Sesame Marinated Cucumbers | Farm Fresh Feasts

This side dish came to the picnics of What's Cookin' Wednesday, Fresh Foods WednesdayTasty Tuesdays,

8 comments:

  1. Any excuse to eat more cucumbers and I'm in!

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    Replies
    1. Alyssa,
      Anything I can do to enjoy them, I'm in too.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  2. I'm a cucumber fanatic! I love doing cukes like this -- they're really like very mild pickles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lydia,
      I am glad someone is a cucumber fanatic, because it's clearly not me. Beet greens, on the other hand . . .
      The whole family likes pickles--it's our common burger topping.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. I actually planted cucumbers this year and it's the one plant that is thriving, where the squirrels aren't interested. Hooray. I've been eating them dipped in hummus, or as a cold salad with feta and some balsamic, maybe a little avocado. I don't suppose cucumbers are things you could really freeze.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      You could freeze cucumbers no problem. It's the thawing that would get ya.
      Unless you wanted cucumber soup or a cucumber smoothie . . .

      Delete
  4. I need to make these as we also have a thriving plant!

    ReplyDelete