Sacramento’s slept-on summer produce makes this miso ginger cucumber salad shine

The Abridged version:

• Tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon and stone fruit get all the love, but cucumbers are a peak Sacramento summer crop too, according to Zoe Barrie.
• Barrie’s recipe for a miso ginger cucumber salad is her take on pai huang gua, or Chinese smashed cucumber salad.
• You can serve it as a side dish or make it a main by adding cooked rice noodles and a protein.

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This is Cooking in Season, a biweekly series from local recipe developer Zoe Barrie using seasonal produce available at Sacramento-area farmers markets. 

This time of year, it seems that the poster children of in-season produce are tomatoes (rightfully so), zucchini, watermelon and stone fruit. Yet I have found cucumbers rarely enter the conversation, despite their peak season running from May through August. 

If I were to guess, it comes down to their year-round accessibility and high demand, especially since they are generally easy to snack on. You can eat them as is and they are still delicious, regardless of the time of year you have them.

As a cucumber enthusiast, it only feels right to put them into the spotlight. Also, admittedly, as a first-year gardener, I enthusiastically planted 20 cucumber plants earlier this year and have found myself with an amateur gardener’s problem: I have far more cucumbers than a small household could possibly consume.

While this has created somewhat of a dilemma for me, it has also reminded me how simple it is to transform a cucumber into a salad with just a few ingredients and condiments. And so here I am, pleading with you to savor these peak-season cucumbers with me.

I will be traveling through Europe in August, but I will resume sharing recipes in September, albeit at a monthly pace — I am finishing a big project that I cannot wait to share more about soon. And don’t worry — Cooking in Season will continue running new recipes every two weeks based on available Sacramento-area produce, even when I am away. Until then! 

Miso ginger smashed cucumber salad

Total time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Inspired by pai huang gua, or Chinese smashed cucumber salad, this salad highlights cucumbers using a smashing technique that creates nooks and crannies that readily soak up the vinaigrette.

In a slight departure from the traditional technique, this recipe has you scoop out the seeds before smashing for a cleaner experience. This is especially important if using Armenian cucumbers, which have larger seeds, but less so with small, easy-to-eat seeds in Persian varieties. Serve as a side dish or make it a full meal by adding cooked rice noodles and a protein, such as tofu or chicken.

Ingredients

Smashed Cucumber Salad

2 pounds cucumbers (such as Persian, English or Armenian)

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

Miso Ginger Vinaigrette

¼ cup loosely packed cilantro, torn

1 Fresno or serrano pepper, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Miso Ginger Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1½ teaspoons white miso paste

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1-inch piece of ginger, grated (about 1 teaspoon)

1 garlic clove, grated

Instructions

Step 1

Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out large seeds as needed and discard. Place the cucumbers on the cutting board, cut-side down. Lay a large knife flat on top of the cucumber and firmly press down with your other hand. The flesh will begin to split and crush. Repeat with all cucumbers. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Step 2

In a mixing bowl, add the cucumbers and salt. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3

Drain the cucumbers, discarding the excess liquid. Pat dry with paper towels and return to the mixing bowl.

Step 4

Prepare the Miso Ginger Vinaigrette: In a mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, miso paste, sugar, ginger and garlic. Whisk until mostly smooth.

Step 5

Pour the Miso Ginger Vinaigrette over the cucumbers and add the cilantro and sliced pepper. Toss to combine. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds.

Zoe Barrie is the writer and recipe developer behind Cooking in Season, a biweekly Abridged by PBS KVIE column featuring recipes made from the Sacramento region’s seasonal produce. She runs the popular Substack page Restaurant Dropout and previously worked in Bay Area restaurants after graduating from culinary school.