COOL AS A CUCUMBER

I am in the kitchen trying to figure out what to do for lunch. I haven’t given much thought to food for quite some time, but I am winding down the editing on my book and looking forward to getting back behind the cutting board again.

“Holly,” I shout trying to get her attention through her headphones, “what do you want for lunch?”

She pauses, and deliberately removes an earpiece, very, very slowly,  “Anything as long as you make it.” She puts the headphone back in again, quickly.

“HOLLY! Turn off your music and talk to me!” (Admittedly she has much better taste in music than me.)

“Mom it is not music. It is a legal podcast. You are interrupting an argument about the rights of discovery.” She emits a heavy sigh and puts down the offending headphones.

*****On a side note I once made the mistake of asking her to play one of her podcasts aloud so we could all listen. Would put me out quicker than a sleeping pill and shot of tequila.******

“Cucumber Salad? I say cheerfully.

“Sounds great.” Her hands inch towards the headset again.

” I was thinking a Thai and Vietnamese fusion? You go pick the mint.”

“I’d really rather not eat then. I don’t know what mint looks like, or where it is.” (This is a shameless lie)

“Seriously, Holly, it’s on the far right side of the garden… by the sundial.”

“FAR RIGHT???!!! That will take an hour! I’m not going into that PLANT HELL for mint.”

***Let me add a side note that we live in a modest residential area with smallish lots. Plant HELL is my carefully built oasis within that tiny slice of suburbia.

AKA “PLANT HELL” 

“If you want to eat you’ll go get the mint. Ten leaves or more.”

She puts her headphones down dramatically, slides out of the chair and begins to crawl as if she was pulling herself out of Hell towards the door. I watch her sternly. “Don’t come back without it!”

CUCUMBER SALAD

4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and slicd

1-2 serrano or jalapeno in a fine dice

1/2 red onion in a fine dice

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

15 Thai Basil leaves

15 mint leaves

1/2 -1 inch grated ginger

3 limes squeezed

1/2 tsp raw organic cane sugar

1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

3 TB Ume plum vinegar or Asian fish sauce

Toss all ingredients together, serve immediately.