It is an error that needs correcting that in the near-20 years of plugging recipes into this url, only a few truly star cucumbers<\/a> \u2014 and highly unrepresentative too, given that we are probably eating some format of cucumbers at half the nights of the week with dinner, and snacking on them throughout all of the other days. Crunchy, cold, hydrating, inexpensive, and taking well to any region of ingredients you wish to apply, I don\u2019t need to sell you on their appeal, especially as we slog through our n<\/em>th heat wave of the summer. I suspect that the lack of cucumber representation in the archives has more to do with the fact that little about cucumber salads brings out my inner obsessive recipe finetuner; usually I\u2019m just throwing it together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For us, this is a staple of stir-fry, simple noodle dishes, or potsticker nights \u2014 either frozen or homemade, and also please tell me you want my pork potsticker recipe because I have so much fun making them, and making the whole family help. I usually have to double this because the least predictable member of our family* will eat the whole bowl before we have a chance to sit down if I\u2019m not prepared.<\/p>\n (* I actually brought her some for her sleepaway camp visiting day, plus homemade dot cakes, and several other things I can\u2019t tell you about lest you rightly judge me.)<\/p>\n \nCombine cucumbers and salt in a bowl. Set aside for as little as 10 to 15 minutes, or up to an hour or two. Transfer to the fridge to keep it cold and refreshing.<\/p>\n Drain any liquid from the cucumber bowl, then add rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and additional salt, if needed. Stir to combine. Finish with chili oil and toasted sesame seeds.<\/p>\n Do ahead: Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, and they\u2019re amazing, becoming gently pickled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
But for you, for us, and because this is actually the cucumber salad I make the most often on weeknights, I\u2019ve pulled out the measuring spoons. Origin-wise, this is closest to a Japanese salad known as sunomono<\/em>, which translates to \u201cvinegared things.\u201d Cucumbers are the most common, but it refers to any raw vegetable or seafood marinated in a sweet, tangy rice vinegar dressing. I skip the sugar, keep my cucumbers chunkier than seems common, and salt them for less time \u2014 I just do it for whatever time I have while I prefer other things, even if it\u2019s just 10 minutes. Salting the cucumbers draws out some of their liquid, leaving a moisture deficit that better absorbs the dressing\u2019s flavors.<\/p>\n![\"cucumber](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55458688932_f59b923843_z.jpg?resize=640%2C427&quality=89&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"cucumber](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55459777003_35df6337a5_z.jpg?resize=640%2C427&quality=89&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenkitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/classroom-wishlist.jpg?resize=300%2C146&quality=89&ssl=1\")
<\/a> It\u2019s here! The 2026 SK Classroom Wishlist Project<\/strong>, in which we try to get teachers what they need to set their classrooms up for success, has kicked off. If you cannot figure out where to start, let me help! I recommend picking a school in your area, or perhaps where you grew up, or searching the descriptions for classrooms that might focus on something particularly meaningful to you. Help out if you feel you\u2019re able. There is no purchase too small to unquestionably make a teacher\u2019s (and their students\u2019) day. Plus, buying crayons, pencils, and books that help kids learn and succeed feels really good. [Project information.<\/a> Direct link to spreadsheet<\/a>.]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nCucumber Salad with Sesame and Rice Vinegar<\/h3>\n
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