This is a great summer side dish to be served along with a protein dish. The nuts in the dish is not a sufficient amount of protein to stand alone. Cucumbers, onions and peppers are inexpensive and readily available during the summer months in Alabama. Yes, I am a southern girl! Personally, I use bell pepper, but chile peppers can be used to add some kick to the salad.

Ingredients:

3 medium cucumbers

½ small Vidalia onion

1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes

½ cup pecans (walnuts, almonds or peanuts can be substituted)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 bell pepper and/or 1 chile pepper optional (seeds can be removed from chile pepper)

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 lemon

Prep the cucumbers by thoroughly washing, then slicing the ends and peeling if desired. Remove ends of Vidalia onion and skin and chop onion. Toast coconut flakes and nuts if desired. Keep coconut flakes and nuts separate from other ingredients until just before serving as cucumbers are filled with water and the nuts and coconut flakes will absorb the water. Chop cilantro.

Combine cucumbers, onion, cilantro and pepper in a medium size salad bowl. Mix mustard seeds, cumin, salt, sugar, sunflower oil in a small mixing bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the wet ingredients mixing bowl and stir well. Add the wet ingredients to the ingredients in the salad bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add coconut flakes and nuts just before serving.

Serves approximately 4 people.

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