Cabbage and Beet Salad

The main thing to remember is that you can make this without everything. I would defintiely not skip the kasha, but one kind of seaweed and no beets would be fine. This is crunchy and delicious! ½ head red cabbage 1 medium-size beet, ideally candy-striped Juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon dried hijiki seaweed 1 teaspoon ume vinegar or red-wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sweet white-miso paste 3 tablespoons tahini 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon shiro shoyu or light soy sauce 8 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola ½ cup kasha 2 tablespoons aonori seaweed, green seaweed or finely shredded nori 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds 1 tablespoon shio kombu or salted kombu, optional Pinch of salt, or to taste Cut cabbage in half, and remove core. Cut into 1-inch wedges and then into 1-inch pieces. Toss these lightly in a bowl, and set aside. Under running cold water, scrub beet with a vegetable brush or paper towel. Trim the beet top and beet root to provide a flat base for slicing on a mandoline. Set thickness to 1/8 inch, and slice beets into flat rounds. Season beets with half the lemon juice, and add them to the bowl with cabbage. Set aside. Make sesame-anchovy dressing. In a small bowl, cover hijiki with warm tap water. Allow to bloom for 15 minutes, then drain well, and season with ume vinegar or red-wine vinegar. Add miso, tahini, rice vinegar, shiro shoyu, the remaining lemon juice and the anchovies, and whisk to combine. Dressing should have a thick, almost mayonnaise-like consistency. Make the kasha furikake. Pour neutral oil into a sauté pan, and place over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Pour kasha into the hot pan, and stir it quickly with a spoon to coat with oil. Allow kasha to fry in the oil, stirring constantly, until it has darkened by two shades of brown. Drain kasha through a fine strainer, and transfer to a plate covered by paper towel. While it is hot, season with the seaweed, which should adhere to the kasha. When it has cooled, mix kasha in a small bowl with the toasted sesame seeds and, if using, the shio kombu. Salt to taste. Make the salad. Add 3 tablespoons of the sesame-anchovy dressing to the bowl with the cabbage and the beets, and mix well to combine. Add more dressing if necessary. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, and sprinkle 4 tablespoons or so of the kasha furikake over the top. (Leftover kasha furikake may be passed at the table, or saved to eat over white rice.)