Salt-Massaged Cucumbers With Miso and Sesame

• 7 or 8 very small seedless cucumbers, about 1 pound
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unhulled sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons brown rice miso
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 6 shiso leaves (available at Asian markets)

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

cucumbers, kosher salt, sesame seeds, brown rice, rice vinegar, ginger, shiso

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12863 (may not work)