Recipe: Japanese apple salad

A day this hot requires a special recipe. This apple and cucumber salad is one of my favorite things to make during the summer:

Japanese Apple Salad

2 green apples
1 cucumber
1 cup jicama (optional)
Half a cup of rice vinegar
teaspoon of sugar (to taste)
1/2 tablespoon of diced fresh ginger
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, ginger and oil in a measuring cup and set aside to soak. Peel most of the skin off the apples, cucumber and jicama. I usually ditch the cucumber seeds, but it’s up to you. Slice these ingredients into very thin pieces about one or two inches long. Strain the ginger out of the vinegar dressing. Toss the dressing with the salad. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some sesame seeds or poppy seeds for crunch. Serves about four.

This is a great side dish for a Japanese inspired dinner. Combine the apple salad with grilled tuna steaks, cold soba noodles and pot stickers for a perfect summer meal.