Asian Refreshing Pressed Salad

Asian Refreshing Pressed Salad, with scallions and ginger

Makes 4-6 cups (depends on the size of each veggie)

• 1 napa cabbage, leaves only, chopped
• 1 savoy cabbage, chopped (and/or 3 baby Bok Choy, leaves only, chiffenade)
• 2 carrots, grated, or shaved and cut to 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 1 bunch parsley, leaves only, chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt

• Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Toss and massage all ingredients well (except pumpkin seeds).

2. Place in salad press for 3 – 12 hours.

TIP: if you do not have a “salad press,” then try my trick, see image, below.

3. Serve, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds.

A salad press can be found online and at Asian markets, click here to see product.

I use a wide-mouth bowl (any non-reactive bowl will do), with a salad plate placed on top of the salad. The dumb bells are putting weight onto the salad mixture. The pressure pushes water out of the veggies, the flavors mingle and then some of the liquid is re-absorbed when the weight is removed … making an incredible good tasting vinaigrette (with adding just a touch of vinegar and oil).

Since taking this image, I now use more weight, and stack in this order:

1. a wide-mouth bowl
2. the salad mixture
3. a salad plate, placed on top of the salad mixture
4. a bucket of water, placed on top of the salad plate
5. a dinner plate, placed on top of the bucket of water
6. a 20 lb dumb bell, placed on the dinner plate