Indian Cucumber Salad

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, optional
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced paper thin
• 2 seedless cucumbers, sliced paper thin
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and sliced paper thin

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the cumin and fennel seeds in a small pan and bake until lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Let cool.
4. Place in a spice grinder and pulse until coarsely ground.
5. Place in a bowl and mix in the peppercorns, salt and cayenne, if using.
6. Arrange the tomato slices in overlapping layers around the perimeters of 4 plates.
7. Sprinkle with a little of the spice mixture.
8. Just inside the tomatoes, arrange the cucumber slices in concentric circles, overlapping the layers slightly.
9. Sprinkle the cucumbers with lemon juice, using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each plate.
10. Season with some of the spice mixture.
11. Place the onions in a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture and the remaining lemon juice.
12. Mound the onions in the centers of the plates and serve.

cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cracked black, kosher salt, cayenne, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon juice, red onions

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9822 (may not work)