Cucumber Garlic Salad

This recipe for cucumber garlic salad is an adaption of a recipe from Mama Nazima’s Jewish Iraqi Cuisine cookbook by Rivka Goldman. It is the only Jewish Iraqi cookbook I have read, and the recipes seem simpler than those of, say, Jewish Syrian cuisine. Rivka Goldman was born in Basra, Iraq and now lives in the U.S. Her recipe does not have cilantro or basil; I added basil because I have some in my garden, and I like the basil flavor with cucumbers.

I have had quite a few cucumbers this summer as I am growing them in my front and backyards. My plan had been to make them into pickles, but they usually grow too big so I have been enjoying this cucumber salad and Israeli-style cucumber/tomato salads as well.

Ingredients

• 3 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
• 2-3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley, cilantro and/or basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• black pepper and salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Toss and chill a few hours before serving. Enjoy.