Persian Fusion Cooking: Cucumber Salsa

by Marjan

Now that’s a first! The Persian culture is an ancient one which generally does not stray from tradition -especially Persian cuisine. However, having lived in the United States for over thirty five years and surrounded by avocado groves here in San Diego, it is inevitable I would mix my old world heritage with that of my environment.

Our neighbors graciously share their avocados with us every year. So as you can imagine, I have prepared my recipe for Guacamole so many times, that I can make it with my eyes shut- and it involves a lot of chopping-Yikes!

On this hot summer day, I went to prepare my recipe for Shirazi Salad. I chopped my onion and cucumbers. For the tomatoes, I went to the garden to pick them fresh. To my surprise, I could not find them. Sadly, my mother informed me local snails have enjoyed our organic tomatoes more than we have this year!

No tomatoes?

Necessity is the mother of all inventions! Why not substitute avocadoes?



To my amusement, I created a salad which tickled my taste buds with a little tang from fresh lime, blended with rich and creamy avocados, and a crispy crunch from fresh cucumbers and onion.

You can prepare this recipe as a main dish, salad, condiment, or dip. Fast, easy and full of flavor!


Cucumber Salsa:

4-5 Persian cucumbers- sliced into small cubes
½ cup finely chopped Spanish onions (or purple onions for a bright color)
2 large avocados-peeled, pitted, and cubed
1 lime- juice and zest
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to taste
A dash of ground dried mint- optional

Blend the above ingredients in a large bowl and serve with toasted pita bread and feta cheese!

From our partner: LO+JUNE

From our partner: LO+JUNE
Artisanal French products in our Swiss fine food boutique