A Disney Recipe To Celebrate National Fresh Fruit & Veggie Month

June is officially National Fruit & Vegetable Month (June 17 is “Eat All Your Veggies Day”), so Disney is sharing this super-easy recipe that uses one of summer’s best vegetables.

Cucumbers are best gussied up with a little sweet, a little hot, and this recipe from Nine Dragons Restaurant at the China Pavilion at Epcot has been a favorite for years. The Sichuan peppers add heat to this side salad that goes well with just about anything.

If you’re in the Disney parks, it’s easy to eat your fruits and veggies with plenty of “good for you” kiosks offering whole and cut fruits, fresh veggies and dip, baked potatoes, smoothies, no-sugar-added strawberry bars. Quick-service locations at Disney resorts have also been beefing up their “grab-n-go” sections, making fruit and veggies an easy snack on your way to the parks. We as park-goers are satisfied to know that we can spend a day in any of the parks at the Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort and fresh, whole food is never more than a few steps away.

Diao Yu Tai Cucumber Salad
Serves 2

2 Kirby cucumbers, about 4 to 5 inches long
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 dried red Sichuan peppers
1 cup of white vinegar
1 cup of sugar

Thoroughly wash unpeeled cucumbers and slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Remove seeds if desired.

Toss cucumbers with salt in a colander. Place colander over bowl and let stand 20 minutes. Drain cucumbers and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat oil in wok over medium-low heat. Add peppers and stir-fry until pepper darkens to deeper red, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add vinegar and sugar; bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Pour mixture over drained cucumbers in a medium glass bowl; cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.