Alaria Cucumber Salad

Here's a simple summer salad — a slight variation on a recipe by Jan Bellame from her book "Cooking with Japanese Foods". If you're not into cooking at all, just marinate the de-ribbed alaria a few hours in vinegar or lemon juice until tender. This is true for any of our sea vegetables — acidity will tenderize them as easily as heat.

Ingredients

Method

1. Sprinkle sliced cucumber with salt, toss gently, and set aside.

2. Drop soaked alaria into boiling water briefly, then plunge into cold water to brighten and set green color.

3. Remove any tough ribs and cut into bite size pieces.

4. Gently squeeze excess water from cucumbers and alaria, and combine them with remaining ingredients.

5. Eat as is or on a bed of lettuce garnished with radish slices and sprouts. 

Serves 3