Cucumber and poppy seed salad

Our friend Ossi Burger says that Sami is a genius for having managed to turn something as dull as a cucumber into a delicacy in this salad. She is right about the genius thing, but that’s beside the point. What Ossi has in mind is the typical mammoth cucumber that you find in supermarkets—a cucumber with no texture, no flavor, and no character.Before coming to this country, neither of us had ever come across a fresh cucumber much bigger than the typical pickled variety. Normal cucumbers, or mini cucumbers as they are sometimes called, the ones eaten in the Middle East, have a distinctive taste and are much less watery. They are earthy and crunchy throughout and can carry a whole salad without getting lost in it. The Arab bread salad, fattoush, does not work without a gutsy cucumber.Fortunately, some organic shops and Asian and Arab produce markets stock these cucumbers, so always choose them if you can. If you are using a large cucumber in this salad, halve it along its center and use a teaspoon to scoop out the seedy core, which is full of water.Quartered radishes make a good colorful addition. Serve with other salads on a meze plate, take with you on a picnic, or eat with roast lamb or pork

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Step 1

1 Chop off and discard the ends of the cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers at an angle, so you end up with pieces 3/8 inch / 1 cm thick and 1¼ to 1½ inches / 3 to 4 cm long. 2 Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to massage the flavors gently into the cucumbers. Taste and adjust the amount of sugar and salt according to the quality of the cucumbers. The salad should be sharp and sweet, almost like a pickle. 3 If not serving immediately, you might need to drain some liquid off later. Adjust the seasoning again afterward