Pressed Salad
A refreshing way to prepare your veggies is to make pressed salads. The basic idea is to add salt to the veggies and press them with a heavy weight. This process makes the vegetables release their water and leaves them lightly pickled. If you have a ceramic colander or berry bowl, you can easily drain out the water. But you can also use a bowl ( made from a non-reactive material like glass or clay). There is even a gadget made just for this purpose- a Japanese pickle press.
A family favorite at my house is simple pressed cucumbers. To make them, mound layers of thinly sliced cucumbers in a colander, bowl or press with a sprinkling of sea salt over each layer. Place a flat surface and weight on top (If you have a press, follow the directions for your type of press). I use a small, inverted dish with a gallon of water on top. If you are using a bowl, make sure the weight is clean as the water level may rise above the plate.
You can press from 15 minutes to overnight (in the ‘fridge). I usually try to press for an hour. The longer you go, the softer and more pickled your vegetables become.
Squeeze to remove liquid. Taste and if they are too salty, rinse to remove the salt.
You can press cabbage, radishes, carrots, red onions, turnips… experiment to your heart’s desire. Just remember to slice everything thinly and layer or toss with salt (or tamari). After pressing, you can add fresh herbs or a light vinegar or citrus dressing.
It’s really hard to mess up making pressed salad! You can add ingredients to froo-froo it up, but we eat ours as is and we LOVE it!