Farmer's Market Loot: Cherry Tomatoes and Table Cucumbers

 

I just snagged these at the farmer's market the other day. The tomatoes are fragrant and taste incredibly sweet and the cucumbers are fresh and crisp. I pickled them and a bell pepper to use in a quick banh mi.

For the pickle you'll need:

• About 3 table cucumbers cut into thin strips, or one English cucumber
• 1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/4 cup of daikon cut into matchstick sized strips (I didn't have daikon on hand, but it's traditional and adds a great crunch)
• 1/2 carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of sugar

Mix the vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust flavor to your liking. Add vegetables and let sit for at least 20 minutes before use.

 

 

Now for the banh mi:

1| Grab some bread. I had sandwich thins, because I need to go shopping, but you should use a mini baguette or even a bolillo roll and schmear mayo inside. 2| I premade a slew of Asian-inspired burgers (sautéing one onion, bell pepper, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 3/4 of a thumb of ginger and adding to a pound of beef or pork with a hit of soy sauce; divide into patties) and fried a couple up. Layer them into your roll. 3| Add a good heap of your pickled veggies with some cilantro.

Some sauces to add if you feel like it: hoisin sauce, sriracha, or jalapeno aioli.

Other meat to use: Liver pate, pork meatballs, leftover Asian takeout meat, eggs for a breakfast version, liverwurst, fried tofu, leftover meatloaf (not all traditional, but all delicious)

Enjoy.