Cucumber / Red Onion / Marinated Tofu Salad

Ingredients:

1 seedless cucumber, gently wiped with cotton kitchen towel (English hothouse or Japanese varieties are my favorites)

1 baby shallot

a handful of daikon sprouts

a pinch of sea salt

1/2 block of tofu, rinsed and covered in a dry cotton towel to remove excess water

2 tablespoon ume plum vinegar

Preparation:

Slice the tofu in 1/4 pieces and lay flat separately on a plate. Dribble the ume vinegar over the tofu, turning to coat both

sides, and let it sit.

Score the surface of the cucumber with a fork from top to bot-

tom, slice in half lengthways, then in very thin half-moons, and place in a large bowl.

Peel and slice the shallot in wafer-thin slices and add to cucumbers.

Using hands, gently mix in the sea salt.

Crumble the tofu and gently fold into the cucumbers along with the daikon greens.