by Henry Gould – March 4th, 2020

Folks, it’s 2020. We are dropping avocado toast like a bad habit and surging into new and exciting iterations of the “stuff put on toast” genre!

First up: cucumber toast. Why should you choose cucumber toast over trusted favorite avocado? Firstly, apparently our collective obsession with avocado consumption is conspicuously bad for the environment. Secondly, most versions are grossly under-seasoned, made ahead of time (turning brown = gross), cost way too much, not to mention trying to time the perfect ripeness of an avocado requires a skillset closer to a nuclear physicist splitting the atom.

Opt for the humble cucumber instead! They keep for weeks in the fridge without going bad, inexpensive, taste great, and are a good vehicle for other flavors.

This version has a quasi “Nordic” angle with the dill, pickle juice (you heard that right) and caraway seeds. However, things are also open to personal interpretation.

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Cucumber Toast

• Good quality bread 
  • Great bakeries in Vancouver: Batard, Livia, Nelson The Seagull, Fife
• Cream cheese
• 1/2 Cucumber
• 1/2 Red onion
• Fresh dill
• Caraway seeds
• 1 lemon
• Pickle juice (ideally from kosher pickles)
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

Wash your cucumber and peel half of it, leaving some skin on. Cut into quarters lengthwise, then turn each quarter on its side and slice the seeds out. Then, lay the piece on the flat portion and cut into long thin strips, then cut into small cubes. The smaller the better as they lay on the bread better.

Peel and chop the red onion very finely. Wash the fresh dill and chop roughly.

Add the cucumber to a bowl, along with as much red onion and dill as you like. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of caraway seeds. Drizzle a little olive oil and ~ 1 teaspoon of pickle juice. All of these are up to your personal tastes. Start small, taste and adjust.

Cut a thick slice of bread and toast to your preference. Spread with a generous amount of cream cheese, then top with the cucumber mixture. Drizzle with some of the liquid that has collected in the bottom of the bowl.

Cucumber mixture keeps well for a few days in the fridge, for further toast adventures.