Sourdough slices with honeyed cucumber and feta cheese

Einstein once said: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler,” and it seems like he knew what he was talking about — everything we do and eat. We cannot make a stunning open-face sandwich with all of the toppings if the bread is bad, cucumbers have no taste and the cheese is the first one we grabbed in the shop. We can try making that perfect bite, but it will be much harder. But, we use crunchy and sweet cucumbers from a local organic grower, bread made with sourdough and organic grains, and the best cheese you can get, preferably artisan or organic or both. And that refers to oil and pepper too. You can pour over refined canola oil and blame me for a no good recipe, or you can pour over this artisan smoked oil, top it all with Timut pepper and praise yourself for making such a great choice to look for the best.

4 slices sourdough bread
1/2 garlic clove
8 Timut peppers*

cream:
200 g feta cheese, best to use sheep + goat mix
120 g thick sheep's milk or goat milk yogurt or crème fraîche

cucumbers:
4 medium or large cucumbers, sliced very thinly
2 tsp liquid honey
4 tbsp smoked or extra virgin olive oil
sea salt (remember feta has salt)


Heat the pan and grill the bread from both sides. Take off and rub with the garlic. You can also serve it on fresh bread without grilling. There are days when I like one way and some days, the other.

In a bowl mix all of the cucumber ingredients. In another, cheese with yogurt.

Spread the cream on the bread. Top with cucumbers and sprinkle with Timut peppers, freshly ground or crushed in a pestle and mortar.


*Timut pepper

Sometimes, when we look for pepper, we cannot find anything other than regular black pepper, but when we look closely, we can discover jewels that will enlighten our life every time we use them. That could be said about Timut pepper. Originating from Nepal, Langtang, Surkhet, Timut pepper is the little brother of the well-known Sichuan pepper, yet not as intense and more elegant and delicate. There is a touch of grapefruit, yuzu, wood, and flowers. It is a labour of love, supporting locals who still grow pepper that much of the world does not even know about.

Due to the slight numbing sensation in the mouth, it is most often used with cocktails and alcoholic beverages, but you should try it with chicken, white fish, light vegetables, and potatoes with a buttery sauce, or even go to the next level and add it to jams and chocolate dishes. Just a bit, not too much, just for the sake of surprise, not the leading role.

PS. Interestingly, Timut pepper helps lower pain and inflammation in our bodies and boosts immunity.