Cucumber Salad, Thai Style

This cucumber salad is Thai-style. It has a wonderful mix of sweet and sour with a little kick.

You need:

• Cucumbers (the small pickling cucumbers are best for this purpose. Bet you’ve not given them a second glance before, have you? They may be short and squatty, but they have a wonderful personality. I mean texture and taste.
• Thai sweet chili sauce (look for it in an Asian grocery store or online)
• Carrots
• Red onion
• Fresh jalapeño slices (optional)

My friend Sue, the Thai chef, introduced me to a wonderful little tool that peels cucumbers and gives them pretty edges all at the same time. The brand is Kiwi and you can get it via Amazon. It’s called the Pro-slice Thai Peeler. It turns an ordinary cucumber slice into a work of art.

Use the tool (or if you are tool-deprived, use an ordinary peeler. So sad.) and peel the cucumber. Slice it into very thin slices.

Use the same tool to shred a carrot. You don’t want tons of carrot shreds — just enough to give it great color.

Very thinly slice just a little bit of red onion. It will add both color and flavor.

Mix the vegetable ingredients together.

Please tell me that you didn’t add the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce yet. Following a recipe is like playing “Mother may I?” You aren’t supposed to say or do anything until “Mother” tells you it’s okay to do so, and I definitely haven’t given you the good ‘ole go-ahead to add the sauce yet. If you’ve already added it, sit down and eat your salad now. Make another batch for whoever arrives later. You want the cucumbers, carrot, onions to be at the peak of their crunchiness. We aren’t making pickles. We’re making salad. The dressing/sauce is put on immediately before serving.

Keep the vegetables refrigerated until it’s time to serve.

Either place the salad mixture into individual bowls or a large serving bowl. Add the Thai sweet chili sauce. Toss. Smile. Serve.