![Refreshing summer cucumber salad.](https://marcsrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ume-shiso-cucmbers-007.jpg)
Growing an edible garden has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. In Tokyo, finding enough land for a proper garden is tough, but I've learned to make do with planters, and my balcony has become a little haven of fresh produce. This year, the weather has been kind, and my cucumbers and shiso are thriving.
![A planter full of cucumbers.](https://marcsrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ume-shiso-cucmbers-011.jpg)
One of my favorite ways to enjoy these fresh cucumbers is to salt and season them with simple ingredients to make a dish that's somewhere between a salad and a pickle. For this version, I'm using some salty and puckeringly tart umeboshi, along with a handful of fresh shiso from the garden.
![Fresh cucumbers and shiso leaves.](https://marcsrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ume-shiso-cucmbers-001.jpg)
I like to cut the cucumbers using an oblique cut, slicing at a 45° angle and then rotating the cucumber 90° before the next slice. This technique creates a ton of surface area for the salt and ume paste to soak into.
![Oblique cut cucumbers.](https://marcsrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ume-shiso-cucmbers-002.jpg)
Salting the cucumbers draws out their excess water, preventing the salad from becoming soggy and transforming their texture from crispy to crunchy.
If you can't find ume paste in a tube, you can easily make it by removing the pits from whole umeboshi and mincing the flesh until it forms a paste.
![Making umeboshi paste.](https://marcsrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ume-shiso-cucmbers-004.jpg)
This simple yet vibrant dish is perfect for a quick snack with drinks or a refreshing side salad, bringing a touch of summer in Japan to your table.
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