Cucumber Wrapped, Cucumber Salad
Serves: 4
At the moment, yay, I have an abundance of different varieties of cucumbers growing in my garden. I just adore cucumbers. They are so refreshing and hydrating; I like to pick and eat them right off the vine. There are nearly 100 different varieties of these delicious, botanically speaking, fruits. My garden includes: Boothbys’ Blonde, Japanese and Persian! They are all delicious with just a hint of difference in flavor and juiciness. English and Persian cucumbers are readily found in grocery stores, fyi.
So what shall we make with all these cucumbers! How about an elegant salad wrapped in a cucumber cummerbund to elevate your salad repertoire and wow your guests, all at the same time!
At the moment, yay, I have an abundance of different varieties of cucumbers growing in my garden. I just adore cucumbers. They are so refreshing and hydrating; I like to pick and eat them right off the vine. There are nearly 100 different varieties of these delicious, botanically speaking, fruits. My garden includes: Boothbys’ Blonde, Japanese and Persian! They are all delicious with just a hint of difference in flavor and juiciness. English and Persian cucumbers are readily found in grocery stores, fyi.
So what shall we make with all these cucumbers! How about an elegant salad wrapped in a cucumber cummerbund to elevate your salad repertoire and wow your guests, all at the same time!
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers, peeled
- 1 bunch red leaf lettuce
- 4 Persian cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup sunflower sprouts, or other sprouts
- 8 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
- ½ cup raw pistachios, lightly toasted, sliced in half
Directions
- Thinly slice (⅛-inch) peeled English cucumbers lengthwise on a mandolin to make 8 long strips. (The first couple of strips will be too narrow, then the slices will get wider thereafter). Make 4 slices per cucumber, (8 total slices), to make 2 slices for each salad.
- On each of 4 plates, curl two cucumber slices, overlapping each other to make a wide circle.
- Line the inside of each cucumber cumberbund with red leaf lettuce leaves.
- Tear the remainder of the red leaf into small pieces and place equal amounts inside the cucumber circles.
- Place the cucumber slices in a bowl, and dress with Cucumber Dill Mustard dressing or other SOS dressing of your choice. Add ¼ of the dressed cucumber slices on top of each bed of lettuce.
- Place the sunflower sprouts in the same bowl and pour dressing over to coat. Add a small handful on top of the cucumbers on each plate.
- Sprinkle sliced cherry tomatoes and toasted pistachios.
Cook's Notes: Feel free to make any type of salad you’d love to place inside the cucumber circle. It could be a chopped raw vegetable salad, or a colorful fruit salad. Let your creativity be your guide.
