Cucumber with Garlic Red Pepper Miso

Here is a very simple recipe that won the accolades of my students attending the Japanese Foods cooking class last week. South River is creating the most delicious miso combinations that you can easily spoon out of the jar and into a quick sauce, into soup, or mixed with nut butter to create a fantastic spread. For this recipe I used their Garlic Red Pepper miso and a splash of Mirin rice wine for a subtle sweet taste to balance the pungent/salty taste of the miso. The crisp crunch of the cucumber ties it all together and before I could grab a bite for myself the plate was empty. Guess that tells the story.

Cucumber with Garlic Red Pepper Miso Sauce
Serves 4

1 1/2 tablespoons South River Garlic Red Pepper Miso
1 tablespoon Eden Mirin (rice cooking wine)
1 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon water

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into short sticks

1. Mix together the miso, mirin and water until a medium thick sauce consistency.
2. Lay the cucumber sticks onto a platter and spoon the sauce over.
3. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes before serving.
4. Serve as an appetizer or alongside a green salad.