I’m writing from Maine, where it’s the height of the season and the farmer’s markets are full of cucumbers of all shapes and sizes, from Kirbys to lemon cucumbers to English and striped Armenian cucumbers. All of the varieties are preferable alternatives to your basic supermarket cucumber with its thick, waxy , bitter peel and starchy, flavorless flesh.
One of the surprises about Portland, which is Maine’s biggest and most cosmopolitan city, is that it supports a first-rate dumpling house, Bao Bao, which is owned and run by Cara Stadler, who is a Food & Wine Best New Chef and James Beard nominee.
The best dish I had at Bao Bao that wasn’t a dumpling but a Smashed Cucumber Salad tossed in an Asian dressing. Smashing the cucumbers, which is best done with the side of a cleaver, opens up the flesh of the cucumber so that it absorbs the dressing better than if you simply sliced it.
Smashed Cucumbers
Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 pound thin-skinned English cucumber, ends cut off
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame chili oil
1 teaspoon garlic oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds and/or chopped roasted peanuts
Handful cilantro, Thai basil or mint leaves
Salt
Directions
To smash the cucumber, lay it on its side on a wooden cutting board, and using the flat part of a large chef’s knife or Chinese cleaver, smash the cucumber along its length until separates into 3 to 4 pieces. Cut each piece at an angle into roughly 1-inch pieces. Refrigerate the cucumber until ready to use.
To make the dressing, whisk together the rice vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce. Whisk in the sesame chili oil and garlic oil.
To make the salad, toss the cucumbers with salt and the dressing . Garnish with the sesame seeds and/or peanuts and the herbs. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.
