Salted Cucumber with Ricotta, Red Onion & Basil

It’s a perfect dish to take advantage of the season’s fresh cucumbers. Ellen Jackson, author of Portland Farmers Market Cookbook, joined the team at AM Northwest to share a recipe from our cookbook – Salted Cucumbers with Ricotta, Red Onions and Basil

Salting slices of cucumber has the same effect that salting zucchini or eggplant does; it draws out the moisture (cucumbers are about 95 percent water) and bitterness, softening the vegetable into something that asks to be coasted with a creamy dressing. This recipe recalls old standbys like mizeria, a Polish salad that combines cucumbers, sour cream and dill, or the Southern version that adds sweet onion and caraway or celery seed. But it is very much its own glamorous and delicious rendition. Makes 4 servings.

Click here to see the recipe and watch Ellen prepare the dish on the show!