Asian Cucumber Salad

There is something about the crispness of a cucumber with vinegar that wakes up your senses.

One day while hunting in TJMaxx, I found a really nice, Swiss-made, stainless steel vegetable peeler in the clearance section for two dollars. Had no idea it was a Julienne Peeler until it shredded a carrot I just wanted to peel into a fancy pile of orange slivers. Cool!

Back to my Asian Cucumber Salad which fortunately tastes just as good if you only SLICE the cucumber with a knife. While it won't look like the food photos we all admire, it tastes great. However, I am pretty much about the look so I take the extra 30 seconds to find my fancy julienne peeler.

To assemble the salad:

• Blend 1/4 cup seasoned Japanese rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, a pinch of salt, a pinch of crushed red pepper or finely sliced red chilies in a small bowl.
• Toss with a shredded or sliced cucumber, 1 cup finely shredded cabbage & top with toasted sesame seeds.

It is perfect next to some pan sauteed shrimp or even rolled up deli turkey - but adds incredible snap and needed moisture when used as a salsa on top of oven roasted or pan seared salmon.