Not quite ready to move on from the light and fresh tastes of summer? This Thai-influenced tomato and cucumber salad does the trick. Adapted from a recipe by chef Alexa Weibel.
| 3 sm | fresh cucumbers |
| kosher salt | |
| 3 t | granulated sugar |
| 1½ t | fresh lime zest |
| 3 T | lime juice (from 2 limes) |
| 4 t | fish sauce |
| 1 T | canola oil |
| 1 T | very thinly sliced green serrano chile (about ½ large chile) |
| 1 clove | garlic, finely grated |
| 1 c | cherry tomatoes and small tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size |
| ½ c | torn fresh basil |
| ½ c | small sprigs cilantro |
| ¼ sm | red onion, very thinly sliced |
| 1 | (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks |
| ¼ c | roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional) |
Create stripes on the exterior of the cucumbers by running the tines of a fork along the length of the skin. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, (seed if necessary) then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer to a colander and toss with 1 teaspoon salt and half the sugar. Reserve.
In a large bowl, whisk together the lime zest and juice, fish sauce, oil, chile, garlic and the remaining sugar.
Just before serving, add the tomatoes, basil, cilantro, red onion, ginger, cucumbers and half the nuts to the dressing; toss to coat. Transfer to a bowl or platter, top with remaining nuts and serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.