Cucumber

Cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, and lots of fresh mint accent the salad. Offer chilled beer or a fruity white wine alongside.

A popular salad on the island of Pantelleria.

This variation on the classic chilled leek and potato soup includes a cucumber-chive puree, which adds a refreshing and flavorful twist.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Roasted Salmon with Cucumber Sour Cream .

This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of cooked beet. Wrap a fresh beet tightly in foil and put it in the oven with the almond cake if you're making this whole menu (if you're not, simply roast the beet in a 325°F oven for 1 hour). You could use canned beets instead, but fresh beets have far more vibrant color and flavor.

A creamy blend of ripe avocados, cucumbers, yogurt, lime juice—and a bit of jalapeño—make this soup bright, spicy, and satisfying. Have we mentioned it only takes ten minutes?

This Vietnamese classic is usually made with top or bottom round beef, which is sliced and then marinated and grilled. We've adapted the recipe to use skirt or flank steak and made it easier by grilling the meat before slicing it.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with dill sprigs and sliced ripe tomatoes or pile onto whole wheat bread with crisp lettuce for a satisfying sandwich.

This salad is a cook's dream because it must be made the day before serving. If you would rather eat it on the same day it is made, cook the cracked wheat in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain through a fine sieve. Proceed with the recipe, but serve immediately without refrigerating.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from chef Neil Perry's book Rockpool. Neil also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. For your convenience, we've converted the measures — with as much accuracy as possible — from Australian to American. For those who have metric equipment and wish to follow Neil's recipe to the milliliter, we've included the original measures too. This dish is a blend of both Asian and Western techniques and flavours, and has been refined over a period of time. My objective was to end up with a layering of textures and flavours that built up from firm and sweet to soft and creamy. If there is one thing Eastern cooking has taught me, it is the balance and interplay of flavours from strong to subtle. This recipe also uses extra-virgin olive oil alongside tamarind, soy sauce and palm sugar to achieve a full-flavoured dressing that melds all parts of the composite salad together. When cooking Thai and Chinese food it is imperative not to use olive oil as it masks the authentic flavours, but once you understand the balance of these flavours you can start to blend with sympathy, and to create dishes that are in harmony with both their roots. The key to this salad is the same as for any composite salad; all the parts must be of the highest quality. The mangoes should be ripe but not overly sweet and soft. The chicken cannot be compromised, it must be fresh to achieve the right texture. Ensure that all the ingredients are at room temperature. It is ideal if all the preparation is done on the same day, but if that's impossible make sure you take everything out of the fridge well beforehand.

For accompaniments, buy your favorite potato salad and steam some zucchini. Have lemonade and brownies afterward.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.