cold sesame noodles with cucumbers

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This recipe is a fantastic way to feature the fresh cucumbers at the market! The noodles are creamy and luscious with the sesame dressing, while the cucumbers are crisp and crunchy and delicious. You can add carrots if you like, to add another splash of color, but I think it’s fantastic with just the cucumbers. The sauce is a vibrant green color from the cilantro, and the scallions and the cucumber skins add lots of dark green. It’s gorgeous, delicious, and healthy, too!
I love this recipe because it’s so full-flavored—it’s not like a lot of pasta salads, which can be pretty bland. The sauce is great, and you can use the leftover sauce (you’ll have some) as a dip for veggies. The green dip is especially beautiful as a dip with thick slices of red pepper. This recipe is based on one from Peter Berley’s Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.

½ pound spaghetti (I prefer whole wheat, but use whatever you like)
sea salt or kosher salt
1 cup roasted tahini (sesame paste)
1 bunch cilantro, including 2 inches of the stems at the top, chopped coarsely
¼ cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I like Nama Shoyu best—find it at Natural Pantry)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (I like to use brown rice vinegar)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon peeled ginger root, sliced very thinly across the grain
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper plus more to taste
1/3 cup water plus more as needed
4 English cucumbers, halved, seeded with a spoon, and either thinly sliced across the cucumber into half-moons, or sliced thinly lengthwise and then julienned into spaghetti-like strands
6 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
optional: 4 to 6 peeled and grated carrots
optional garnish: 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt to the water, add the noodles, and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold running water until they stop steaming. Let them continue to drain.
2. In a blender, combine the tahini, cilantro, maple syrup, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, cayenne, and water, and puree. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a creamy, smooth, pourable sauce. Add more cayenne to taste, if desired.
3. To serve, sauce the noodles to taste in a bowl and top with the cucumber (and optional carrots) and scallions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve at room temperature.