Japanese Cucumber Salad

Such a simple summer salad.  It really couldn't get much easier than to chop up a cucumber (thank you to my friend Kira for a cucumber from their garden!) and add 4 ingredients.  And easy ingredients - vinegar, salt, sugar, sesame seeds.  I even ran out of sesame seeds and didn't bother to toast them but we still loved this dish.  (Next time, however, I definitely want to try toasting the sesame seeds because that does add great flavor.)  There's a little sweet from the sugar and a little sour from the vinegar and it's just a cool and refreshing dish for the last gasp of summer.

I don't have a good enough food processor so I cut these with a knife.  They were a little too thick so we just used our hands to eat them.  Next time, I might use a slicer to get them thinner or purposely cut them into thicker cucumber strips.

Japanese Cucumber Salad
Taken from Eating Well

• 2 medium cucumbers, or 1 large English cucumber
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted if desired (To toast sesame seeds, heat a small dry skillet over low heat. Add sesame seeds and stir constantly until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool)

1. Peel cucumbers to leave alternating green stripes. Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise; scrape the seeds out with a spoon. Using a food processor or sharp knife, cut into very thin slices. Place in a double layer of paper towel and squeeze gently to remove any excess moisture.
2. Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl, stirring to dissolve. Add the cucumbers and sesame seeds; toss well to combine. Serve immediately.