Pressed Salad: a macrobiotic dish that aids digestion

1/2 cup sliced cucumbers

1/2 cup sliced Chinese cabbage

1/2 cup sliced radish

1/4 cup sliced celery

1/4 up red onion

1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Add salt and gently massage the salad until they begin to sweat, turn shiny and release liquid.  Place a weight on the vegetables: I use a dinner plate that fits inside the bowl, then I put a few rocks or canned goods on top of the plate so that pressure is exerted on the vegetables. Allow the salad to sit under pressure for 45 minutes to 3-4 hours.  A significant amount of water will be released.  Discard the pressing water. Rinse off the vegetables so that they do not taste salty.  Squeeze out extra water.

Serve plain, or sprinkle with lemon juice, rice vinegar, or a simple dressing made with sesame oil, a tiny bit of shoyu and rice vinegar. Of course,you can use bottled dressing but just a little so as not to override the healthy developed enzymes with fat.