You Should Definitely Be Smashing Your Cucumbers

Aside from your dad's boat shoes or a bunch of illegal fireworks taken to the face, there are few things that scream summer quite like a perfectly crisp cucumber.

Now, we know it's not technically summer yet, but the slow and steady demise of our planet makes for a damn hot spring, and that means it's the perfect time to seek the sanctuary of a refreshing summer salad made with cucumbers.

Luckily, we here at MUNCHIES have just the salad in mind and it couldn't possibly be simpler to make.

The innovative folks behind LA's PINE & CRANE were kind enough to share their recipe for a Taiwanese-Chinese-inspired summer salad comprised of smashed cucumbers.

PINE & CRANE is a two-year-old Taiwanese-Chinese restaurant in Silver Lake that specializes in simple classics with a modern twist.

The recipe calls for you to coat a whole bunch of gently smashed Japanese cucumbers in a dressing of chili oil, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and a tiny bit of sugar to make things really sing. The dish is brilliantly refreshing, packs enough heat to get you going, and if it was any simpler, we're pretty sure you couldn't even call it a salad.

We wholeheartedly suggest you to get smashing.