cucumber & chiles salad

i love this salad...crunchy, spicy, a tiny bit sweet...perfect alongside cold roasted chicken, piled on top of a roast beef sandwich, on fish tacos or as part of an asian food buffet. i also like it with new mexican or mexican food.  try with stacked enchiladas, beans and posole instead or the more typical green salad.

cucumber & chilies salad
(ensure you prepare at least an hour in advance to allow the flavors to meld and then serve it icy cold.)

8 oz. cucumber (i use an english cucumber)

coarse kosher salt

2 fresh jalapeño chilies

1 fresh red chili

3 tbsp champagne or sparkling wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp coconut sugar

thinly slice cucumber and place in a colander. sprinkle with the kosher salt. let sit for 30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with cold water. pat dry and arrange 1/2 of cucumber on a platter. seed and remove membranes from jalapeño and red chilies.***   cut peppers in half lengthwise and then very thinly slice. sprinkle 1/2 of sliced chilies on top of platter of cucumbers. cover with the remaining cukes and arrange remaining chilies on top. place vinegar and coconut sugar in small bowl and whisk together until sugar is dissolved. pour dressing over cucumbers, cover platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. serve really cold.

note...to make even spicier...do not remove membranes from the peppers..to make insanely hot..keep some, if not all, of the seeds...

**regarding jalapeños and serranos..if you have never prepared fresh jalapeños/serranos this note is very, very important..and i really, really mean it (have i emphasized this point enough? :)  immediately after you seed and chop the peppers wash your hands really well. if you don't, i promise you will forget, touch your eyes and cause a massive, painful burning. some people recommend wearing rubber gloves when preparing peppers.  i don't, but i always remember the washing hands tip...i learned the hard way.