Summer Joy

Summer is officially here in Hanoi. After many cold days into March and April, May turned up the heat and June solidified the season. I love the start of new seasons. I have favorite activities, food, smells, etc. that make me think of new seasons, like the crisp morning air that means Fall is here or the winter-standard peppermint lattes at Starbucks. For summer, I always look forward to peaches, watermelon, and a nice cold glass of sweet tea. Although I can get peaches and watermelon here in Hanoi and I can make my own sweet tea, I have a new favorite summertime joy thanks to Vietnam--cucumber, tomato, and pineapple salad. If you've ever had Greek bread salad, it reminds me a little of that dish, minus the bread. It is a perfect light dish that fills you up, but doesn't weigh you down in the hot Hanoi weather. I first had someone make this for me, and after falling in love with it, I sought out the recipe for myself. I wanted to share it with you guys, so you can enjoy this delicious summer treat. You can easily find all of the ingredients in the US (look for fish sauce in the Asian section of your grocery store and go really light on it at first--it is potent!). I also included a couple of pictures of my salad creation. Enjoy!

Ingredients*
1 large garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (2-inch-long) fresh serrano or jalapeño chile, minced, including seeds
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
1/2 seedless cucumber (often plastic-wrapped), halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cored, then sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick (2 cups)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 medium tomatoes (1 lb total), cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges

Directions
Mince garlic, then mash to a paste with salt using side of a large heavy knife.

Whisk together lime juice and sugar in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved, then whisk in oil, garlic paste, chile, and fish sauce (to taste). Add remaining ingredients, tossing to coat, and add salt to taste.

*Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.