Summer Updates + A Recipe for Cucumber Salad with Plum Vinegar
HAGS
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Hi all, hope everyone’s having a great week~
Summer’s at 100% throttle in Chicago—and it’s the best season to be here, if you ask me. Here are a couple things that have been bringing me joy lately:
Cooking from my rooftop garden: For those who follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve made hydroponic gardening an integral part of my personality. It remains my tried-and-true method of getting my favorite Asian herbs and vegetables year-round, but when it gets warmer I really like keeping some plants on the rooftop of my apartment building—particularly the stuff that gets too big to reasonably keep in indoor reservoirs.
Pictured below: a bouquet of a variety of lemon basil that I harvested the other day, which has done really well in marinades for my grilled meats and in topping noodle soups—not to mention, in homemade jam, pesto, and even fruit salad. I also recently harvested some mizuna (also known as Japanese mustard greens), which I’ve lightly cooked and doused in sesame dressing for a mizuna goma-ae, as well as used in lieu of lettuce in BLTs (so, BMTs, then?), and in big pasta salads.
More painting and sketching outside: Lately, I’ve been keeping a travel-sized sketchbook and watercolor palette in my pack (just about) everywhere I go, and it’s been incredibly meditative getting to sit outside in the sun and observe—painting and sketching whenever inspiration strikes. This painting below was done of the Chicago skyline in front of the Lincoln Park Conservatory the other day with my Winsor & Newton half-pan watercolor set.
Cool dinners for busy days: Hotter weather means things served cold/room temperature, not spending so much time slaving over a stove, what have you. Things have admittedly been getting busy at my day job—I recently got accepted into a 6-month leadership program to hone my management skills and network with some fantastic people, so I’ve been increasingly relying on really quick stuff I can throw together in less than half an hour on the days I’m working remotely. This is a simple cucumber salad that comes together effortlessly, and goes great with a grilled fish fillet and a bowl of rice; it was the perfect thing to tuck into, especially these past couple days when the temps in Chicago were up in the nineties. (OG subscribers, you might recognize this one!) Its salty, sour, and fruity-sweet flavors comes from the addition of umeboshi vinegar (also known as ume plum vinegar), which you can easily find at Japanese grocery stores. (If it helps, I’ve also seen it floating around my local Whole Foods and Mariano’s). Finish off with a generous sprinkling of your favorite furikake, and you’ve got a great vegetable side. (A gentle reminder: this salad should not be made in advance as the sodium will draw the moisture out of the cucumber and cause it to lose its crunch. To prepare in advance, simply cube the cucumber and season it right before serving.)
What have you been up to this summer?
Oh, and by the way! Next week, we’re chatting with Khushbu Shah about a bis-quick hack for achieving perfect gulab jamun. If you’re not subscribed, be sure to do so below so that every dispatch gets conveniently delivered to your inbox every week!
Makes about 1 quart
1 large (14- to 16-ounce) English cucumber
2 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Soy sauce, to taste
1 tablespoon furikake or toasted sesame seeds
Trim off the ends of the cucumber and cut it into ¾-inch cubes; place in a medium mixing bowl.
Add the vinegar; stir well to coat.
Season to taste with the soy sauce.
Sprinkle the furikake on top and serve immediately.