Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Cucumbers with Tahini and Crumbled Feta

Cucumbers with Tahini and Crumbled Feta

Some foods just represent summer to me. Ice cream, of course, and sweet cherries and grilled corn to name a few. But the quintessential summer veggie for me is cucumbers. Something about the light, crisp flavor begs to be eaten in warm weather. I slice them raw and put them on top of toasted bread with cream cheese for breakfast and I throw chunks of them into practically every salad I make.

Cucumbers with Tahini and Crumbled Feta
But sometimes the cucumber needs to be the star of the dish. Brian loves traditional cucumber salad with vinegar and sugar and he gets plenty of that as well as a couple of other variations. But I wanted to create something that incorporates different flavors but still highlights the cucumber. I realized that whenever I order a falafel sandwich, it comes with lots of cucumbers in the pita and is topped with tahini dressing and that was my inspiration.

Cucumbers with Tahini and Crumbled Feta
I'm sure you can buy prepared tahini sauce but I've always made my own so I've included the recipe for that as well. And because cucumbers need a lot of salt to bring out their flavor, I added some in the form of the brininess of crumbled feta cheese. Make yourself a big bowl, toast up some pita bread (or, better still, naan bread) and enjoy!

Ingredients
1 Seedless cucumber (also known as English or Hothouse cucumber)
1/4 Cup prepared tahini sauce (see below for recipe)
1/4 Cup crumbled feta cheese (I used low fat)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cucumbers with Tahini and Crumbled Feta
Seedless cucumbers have softer skin so you don't need to peel them if you don't want to. Just rinse and cut into thin slices. For best results, sprinkle a little salt on them and place them in a colander over a bowl to drain out some of the water. When ready to serve, pour the tahini sauce over the cucumber slices and top with the crumbled feta cheese. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed. Makes approximately 2 servings.




Tahini Sauce
1/4 Cup sesame paste
1/4 Cup water
1/4 Lemon juice
1 Garlic clove, peeled
Salt & pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix together the paste, water and lemon juice until thoroughly combined. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Smash the peeled garlic clove lightly and place inside the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours for the garlic to perfume the sauce. If the sauce thickens too much at any time during refrigeration, you can thin it out with a bit of water and correct the seasoning.

28 comments:

  1. I don't think I have had tahini sauce. It does sound good.

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  2. Oh myyyyyyyy. Yes please!

    Not only does this scream summer to me, it screams, "Make me NOW!!!"

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  3. What a delicious way to prepare cucumbers! The tahini and feta do make for a great topper. You did step out of the box with a winning recipe. Nice to have a new and unique recipe for cucumbers-thanks!

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  4. Yum! I love the cream sauce you made for this dish. It sounds tasty.

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  5. Fresh, crisp and cold! This is a perfect summer treat for taking a break from the garden!

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  6. This is a great idea! Nice combo.

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  7. I agree, cucumbers are a total summer must-have. Great salad!

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  8. I have a huge jar of store bought Tahini...that I'm regretting the purchase of after seeing this recipe! I'd rather have made my own! But thanks for the idea of topping veggies with it! Yum

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  9. Oh that looks so good! Love the idea. Definitely a great summer salad.

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  10. I only like cucumbers in the summer time. They really do shine and nothing tastes more refreshing! Thank you for sharing with me...and for your kind words on my blog. I truly appreciate your visits, posts, and recipes!

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  11. This looks so fresh and simple. I have a jar of tahini that I bought to make hummus and don't know what to do with the rest... so this is perfect! Thanks for sharing!

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  12. I love tahini sauce use it to make eggplant hummus! HAve never made my own I can't wait to try this... love that it has sesame paste in it.. had no clue :) thanks for the recipe sound wonderful!

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  13. I never think to use tahini for anything other than homemade hummus- gotta try!

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  14. Hmm ... never had tahini with cucumbers and feta ... it sounds great :-)

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  15. This is so simple and I agree - it screams summer =)

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  16. Tahini sauce with cucumbers and feta sounds like a delicious combo :D

    Cheers
    CCU

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  17. Love the pairing of cucumbers and feta together!

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  18. This must be good! Have to go buy some cucumber and Tahini!

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  19. Sesame paste? I'll have to hunt that one down in the grocery store! This would be a nice refreshing dinner after a long-day a work, maybe with chicken breast for some protein.

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  20. I've been looking for ways to use up the tahini I've had for awhile! This sounds like a great way!

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  21. Where do you pick up your sesame paste in NYC? I don't really see it around. Would love to make my own batch since store bought tahini can sometimes taste chalky.

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    1. I have two sources. I sometimes order groceries from Fresh Direct and they carry it under the Roland brand name. I also purchase it at my local supermarket which is D'Agostino. They carry it in the same aisle as the rice, grains, beans and Mexican condiments. The brand they carry is called Joya (I believe) and it's usually either on the top shelf or the bottom, not at eye level. I hope this helps!

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  22. Woot, we are both in the Top 9 today. Nice! My cauliflower obsession rewarded.

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    1. I swear I just linked to you from the Top 9, and now can not find it. What the heck...well it should be in the top 9 if it is not.

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  23. That looks really good, delicious combination! Thanks for visiting me and for your sweet words :)

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  24. Anything with feta gets my vote instantly and this salad is no exception! Great recipe, Anita! :)

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