Smashed Cucumber Salad

Just another beautiful early summer morning sipping coffee on the deck. We’re counting how many birds we can identify by sight and song. The hummingbirds are the easy ones as they buzz.

In this early peace, I think about recent meals and what might make a good recipe for Berkshire Kitchen. We’ve had some amazing plates during our travels, some may be too much to attempt in a home kitchen. I keep this in mind when choosing a recipe. So many ideas but best to be seasonal.

Many recipes for salads feature smashed cucumbers. So, I think tI’ll go with that. The cucumber given a few good whacks breaks apart, hence it is “smashed.” A salad is appropriate for July in the Berkshires and this one is nicely balanced with a vinaigrette dressing, appropriate on a picnic or on a buffet. It has a Mediterranean flair. Though I’ve included shrimp as a featured protein, you can use fish or roast chicken or leave out shrimp entirely. I crumble some feta cheese over top for a Greek influence but mozzarella balls is a good choice. You might add some olives or capers though I try to use fewer ingredients. The garbanzo beans are the black ones. I had these on hand but yellow garbanzos would complement the salad just as well.

A note about “smashed” cucumbers. The idea here is that by smashing the cucumber, it breaks apart with rough edges that hold the dressings better than smooth surfaces afforded by slicing. Many recipes for smashed cucumber salads have few ingredients but I prefer to add some greens to make it more substantial.

SMASHED CUCUMBER SALAD with SHRIMP
4 Lunch or Main Course Servings

Ingredients for the salad:

• 1 large English or 4-5 Persian cucumbers

• 1 ½ cups diced or sliced red onion

• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

• 1 cup cooked and drained garbanzo beans (chick peas)

• 1 cup rough chopped flat leaf parsley

• 8 ounces feta cheese crumbles

• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

• 5 to 7 medium shrimp per serving (poached in salted water with a lemon slice and some Old Bay Seasoning, drained and cooled)

Method:

• Wash the cucumbers, but do not peel

• Lay the cucumber on a secure surface and smack it smartly, up and down its length with a meat mallet or heavy saucepan. It should split into two to four sections lengthwise. Cut into one inch pieces

• Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

Ingredients for the Vinaigrette:

• ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon light honey

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• 1 large clove garlic, shredded on a microplane or finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• Mixed greens as desired

Method:

• Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl or a quick pulse or two in a blender

• Immediately pour over the salad, toss and serve

• this may be more than enough dressing for your salad, depending on how much mixed greens are used. So dress the salad accordingly)

This is nice for lunch or dinner. It also goes well on a summer picnic or on a casual buffet with other offerings. It always tastes better with blue skies and sunshine, dining al fresco in the back yard.

Enjoy!