A dear friend celebrated her birthday a while ago and my present to her was a fully catered plantbased dinner for two, prepared in her own kitchen. So we set a date and this what I prepared and served for starters: medallions of cucumber, crunchy seaweed crisps and pickled ginger.

This dish may be small but it has a mind-blowing taste, caused by the pickled ginger, which I prepared a few days in advance.

You start by peeling a ginger root (as large as you like) then cut thin strips with a peeler. Place them in a colander and sprinkle them with a teaspoon and a half of sea salt. Set aside for an hour.

After an hour transfer them to a sterilized glass jar. In the meantime bring to boil 1 cup of rice vinegar and 1/3 cup of (coconut)sugar. When the sugar is completely dissolved pour it over the ginger in the jar, let it cool and after cooling close the jar and place in the refrigerator (or a cool cellar). Leave for at least three days. You will notice that the color of the ginger and vinegar will turn reddish brown. That is good.

To make this dish you peel a large cucumber, cut slices (or smaller cucumbers in strips) and you start “building”. Beginning with a layer of cucumer, spread some tahini spread on it, place a seaweed crisp on top of that (you can find them in a organic store), then another layer of cucumber and on top a strip of pickled ginger. Sprinkle some roasted sesame seed over it and your taste explosion is ready!

Curious about the main course and the desert? Check this site later this week.