Salt Massaged Cucumbers With Miso And Sesame Recipes

SALT-MASSAGED CUCUMBERS WITH MISO AND SESAME

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers but do not peel. Cut off and discard ends, and slice cucumbers into 1/8-inch rounds. Put in a medium-size bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix well. Leave for 10 minutes.
• In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast sesame seeds until fragrant and just beginning to pop, 1 minute or less. Transfer to a suribachi (Japanese grinding bowl) or mortar and grind to a coarse paste. Add miso, vinegar and ginger and stir well.
• Squeeze cucumbers a handful at a time to express their liquid. Drain in a colander. Stack shiso leaves and roll into a cigar shape. Slice thinly with a sharp knife. Dress cucumbers with miso-sesame mixture. Sprinkle with shiso slivers, toss gently and serve.

GREEN BEANS AND CUCUMBERS WITH MISO DRESSING

Steps:

• Lightly smash cucumbers with a rolling pin, then tear into bite-size pieces. Toss with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Let sit to allow salt to penetrate.
• Meanwhile, place green beans in a large resealable plastic bag, seal, and smash with rolling pin until most of the beans are split open and bruised. Whisk ginger, chile, garlic, vinegar, miso, olive oil, and sesame oil in a medium bowl until smooth. Add dressing to beans and toss around in bag to coat; season with salt.
• Drain cucumbers and add to bag with beans. Shake gently to combine. Transfer salad to a platter and top with sesame seeds and scallions.

MISO-SESAME VINAIGRETTE THAT'S GOOD ON ANYTHING

Steps:

• Combine garlic, shallot, shoyu, vinegars, miso and sugar in a blender and blend on high speed until homogenous. (Alternatively, mash garlic and shallots in the bowl of a large granite or marble mortar and pestle into a fine paste using the pestle, then stir in the shoyu, vinegars, miso and sugar.)
• With the blender running on medium speed (the liquid should form a vortex but not jump up and splatter on the walls of the blender), slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil. (If using a mortar and pestle, slowly drizzle in the oil as you stir vigorously with the pestle.)
• Transfer to a lidded jar. Stir in the sesame oil and sesame seeds with a spoon. Dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Shake well before using.