Cucumber Charred Onion Relish

On Monday night Vivian Howard, star chef of The Chef and the Farmer cooked flank steak with this relish on the side. It was yummy delicious. She demonstrated how to make the relish so this recipe is direct from her. My interpretation is only about amounts. I served it to my guests last night and even the most picky of eaters had second helpings. I not only served it with grilled beef, but also salmon and it worked perfectly on the two of them.
1 English cucumber- peeled in stripes so as to leave half the dark green on – then seeded

2 large red onions 

2 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup of sherry vinegar

1 T. Salt

2 T. Sugar

1/2 t. Red pepper flakes

Olive oil
After peeling the cucumber in stripes, and cutting it in half use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Cut each half into thirds the long way and chop the cucumber strips into half inch chunks. Place in a bowl.
Turn the grill on to high. Peel the red onions and cut the whole onion into 1/2 inch rounds. You may get four from each onion. Rub a little olive oil on the cut sides of the onion and place on the grill to char. It will take about four to five minutes per side.
While the onions are cooking mince the garlic on a micro plane over the cucumbers in the bowl. Add the salt, sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes and mix well.  
When the onions are charred on both sides add them to the cucumber bowl, breaking up the rings and toss around. Chill the relish in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but preferably overnight. Add a dash of olive oil right before serving.