Bon Jovi…”It’s like a beach blanket and a bottle of wine, it feels something like summertime.”
Hot weather is when one needs a great salad repertoire where better to start than with a fabulous new favorite, cucumber and berry salad with Urfa chili and sesame. No Urfa chili and no arugula, but a pinch of Calabrian chili flakes and a spring mix salad worked for me and the salad was a big hit. Perfect for a hot summer dinner salad, since we can find strawberries and raspberries year-round, I call this a fancy year-round salad.
Summer peaches in the Carolinas have been great this year. I have a big bowl of them stationed on the island counter for anyone to grab as they pass by looking for a snack since they became available in early June and I cut up one of them for Yotam’s salad… A great juicy addition.
Ingredients and preparation, slightly adapted.
Serves 2-4
1 cucumber (250g), peeled and cut into rough chunks
½ small red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (40g net)
150g strawberries, hulled and halved, or quartered, if large
65g raspberries
45ml olive oil
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil, plus ¼ tsp extra to serve
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
1 tbsp maple syrup
Flaked sea salt
20g rocket or salad spring mix
¼ tsp Urfa Chile, or Calabrian chili flakes
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
Put the cucumber, onion, berries, both oils, lemon juice, maple syrup, and a teaspoon of flaked salt in a large bowl, toss gently to combine, then leave to macerate for three to five minutes.
Transfer the cucumber mixture to a lipped platter, leaving one tablespoon of the dressing in the bowl. Put the rocket in the bowl, stir to coat with the dressing, then scatter on top of the cucumber and berry salad. Sprinkle over the remaining quarter teaspoon of sesame oil, the Urfa, sesame seeds, and a good pinch of flaked salt, and serve.
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