Cucumber Sesame Salad

I love crisp, clean food. I have found that no food is more clean than eating a cucumber. I love them. There is a salad I have been obsessed with for years. It is a cucumber salad with red rice vinegar. Delicious. It makes a nice light meal on its own or is a nice side with fish. This salad is traditionally served with peanuts but I have found I like it with sesame seeds too. The sesame seed still gives it a nice nutty flavor.

Cucumbers are scientifically classified as a fruit and are part of the gourd family. I like the Japanesse variety and pickling cucumbers best. I find they have the most flavor. Japanesse are more mild and slender. They have a deeper green and less bumpy skin than the traditional waxed cucumber variety. I love the smaller pickling cucumber variety with their nubby skins. They are never waxed and have a great flavor. Ever wonder why the wax? Traditional cucumbers are waxed to extend their shelf life.

Cucumber Sesame Salad

1/2 of a head Purple Cabbage(Shredded)
2 Carrots (Shredded)
1/4 of a Purple Onion
1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro (Minced)
1 Tablespoon Fesh Mint (Minced)
1 Cucumber, Thinly sliced (or 3-4 Pickling Cucumbers, thinly sliced)
1/2 Cup Bean Sprouts
2 Grean Onions (Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Cup Red Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger (Grated)
Sliced Lime

Shredded the half of the purple cabbage head in a food processor. Then, add the carrots to be shredded along with the 1/4 slice of purple onion. Place this mixture into a new large bowl and place aside. Change food processor attachment to slice the cucumbers. Add the sliced cucumbers into the bowl of cabbage mixture.

Chop the mint, cilantro and green onion. Place into the large bowl with the other ingredients. Working now with the bowl of ingredients, add the bean sprouts, sugar and sesame seeds over mixture. Pour the red rice vinegar, ginger and add sesame seeds. Add ground pepper to taste. Gently mix. Refridgerate for a couple of hours before eating. This will allow the vinegar to set into the ingredients. Before serving squeeze lime juice over individual servings. Use squeezed lime slice as garnish.

Serves 4.

-Fer