Julie’s Raw Ambition

This is a delicious, simple salad that’s perfect to try if you’re just getting acclimated to sea vegetables. Wakame is soft and tender with a mild, sweet flavor. When I first served this to my family, it was gone in minutes after they once looked down at it cock-eyed because in no way does it resemble the artificially colored and processed seaweed salad you get at a typical sushi bar. Not only does this taste a hundred times better, it’s a hundred times better for you.  Recipe follows..

This recipe will yield up to 4 side-salad servings, or one giant serving if you want to make it a big meal!

8 oz. or 1 bunch chopped curly kale, stems & veins removed
1/4 cup Eden instant wakame/or wild Atlantic alaria or wakame (such as Ironbound Island)
1/2 stalk Eden pickled daikon, quartered
1 6″ long piece English cucumber, quartered
1 Haas avocado
nama shoyu
flax seed oil
umeboshi plum vinegar (such as Eden brand)
2 inch piece freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 jalepeno pepper, finely minced (optional)
Eden shake, or black & white sesame seeds

Put kale, garlic, ginger, and jalepeno into a large bowl and lightly but evenly sprinkle with nama shoyu. Toss well and let sit for at least one hour (refrigerate overnight for optimum tenderness). In a separate smaller bowl, soak the wakame for 10-20 minutes in 3 times the amount of water.

Drain and squeeze excess water from the wakame with your hands, one bunch at a time. Add to bowl of kale along with the cucumber and pickled daikon and gently toss. Then add about 2 tablespoons of Eden shake or sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons of flax seed oil sprinkled evenly, and a very light sprinkling of ume plum vinegar. Toss again, and check for flavor. Add additional flax oil, nama shoyu, or plum vinegar if needed. (Note: Be careful not to overdo the ume plum vinegar, it is very intensely tart and salty!)

Finally, cut the avocado in half to open and discard pit. Scoop out each side very carefully with a large spoon so that flesh comes out in one piece. Face down, thinly slice the avocado and arrange around a large platter as pictured above. Place the kale and wakame salad in the middle, ganish the avocado and platter with sesame seeds, and serve.

<3, JMK