This easy salad or condiment tastes delicious, looks beautiful and keeps for weeks in the fridge. As a salad, it’s fun to toss with scallops, shrimp, tempeh, chicken, tofu or feta. As a condiment, a forkful on everyone’s plate will aid digestion because it’s chock-a-block full of enzymes. A main ingredient, umeboshi plum vinegar, made from pickled umeboshi plums, is used by Japanese for digestive health and known as “Japanese Alka Seltzer”. The trick is to make a batch before the holidays and use a little each day during them to help handle heavy meals and overindulgence.

When we overindulge, we’re likely to be too acidic, and umeboshi is “the king of alkaline foods.” One study showed taking 10 grams of umeboshi plum paste was able to neutralize the acidity created by consuming 100 grams of sugar. Umeboshi also detoxifies the liver.

Umeboshi plum vinegar is, however, high in sodium because the plums are pickled with salt, so don’t go drinking the bottle of vinegar willy-nilly. If you’re on a salt-restricted diet, or if you’re prone to water retention or swelling, go easy. No more than a few tablespoons a week.

Serves 12-24 as a side dish
12 cups organic vegetables like cabbage;	Marinade
diced celery, grated carrot, beet or Daikon; cucumber spears	½ cup umeboshi plum Vinegar
12 cups boiling water	½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves	Minced ginger, optional
1 tsp basil	Garlic, hot peppers, optional

Slice cabbage with the slicing blade of a food processor (or slice thinly by hand). Grate (using the grating blade of a food processor) carrots, daikon radish or beet. Dice celery and cut cukes. Spoon prepared vegetables into the boiling water and stir. Remove pot from heat, cover, let stand 3 minutes, which is just enough to soften veggies but not enough to kill enzymes. Drain. (Save liquid for soups or drink when cold -- alkalyzing.) Add bay leaves and basil. Pour marinade over vegetables. Mix. Store covered in the refrigerator in a glass or ceramic bowl or stainless steel pot.

Note: Daikon radish is said to help diminish appetite. If your family likes things spicy, add a hot pepper to the mixture. If they like things garlicky, add garlic cloves. Like ginger? Add some minced or grated ginger. Like ice cream? Save it for dessert!