cucumber salad
Concombre a` la Menthe – Cucumber Salad with Mint
by Teanna DiMicco of www.sporkorfoon.com
To me, there are few things better in life than a fresh cucumber. Crunchy and juicy (and virtually calorie free), they are the perfect food to nibble on. So what’s a great way to French-i-fy them? Toss them in salt, yogurt, and mint, of course.
The French typically salt their cucumbers before serving them in salads, which draws out the natural moisture and heightens the taste.
The salt definitely heightened the taste. It took away that fresh flavor, but added something I have never experienced when having cucumber, which, lets face it, can be very one note. My boyfriend and I took two pounds of peeled cucumbers, placed them in a colander, tossed them with salt, and let them drain for 30 minutes. We then prepared a dressing of 3/4 cup plain yogurt, red wine vinegar, ground pepper, and mint leaves (cut into a chiffonade, naturally. I think I’m going to name my first born Chiffonade. But only if I’m a celebrity. Otherwise, it would be weird.) Then, after the cucumbers have sufficiently drained, we patted them dry and tossed them with the dressing, and let them stand for 20 minutes.
These were good, and definitely an interesting way to spice up some cucumbers. But I think I’d prefer my cucumbers as I usually eat them. Like a corn dog.
I seriously don’t know where I just got that from, but that’s the image I get. They kind of are like healthy corn dogs, minus the stick and batter and mystery meat. Straight up. No? Really? No?
