Well before natural food stores became trendy, Down to Earth opened its doors in Wailuku in 1977. Over the past several decades, the all-vegetarian store grew to become a chain, with additional stores in Honolulu, Kailua, Pearlridge and the new Kapolei branch.

In celebration of its 35th birthday, Down to Earth is holding a 35 percent-off sale on Friday of its 35 best-selling items.

Those include such products as bulk quinoa and peanut butter, yogurt and tofu, local apple bananas and papaya, rice milk, and flax and spirulina supplements. See the entire sale list at goo.gl/yvxFZ.

As part of the celebration, guest chef Jessica Simmons will host cooking demonstrations, featuring raw dishes such as Cheesy Herb Tomato Soup, Mediterranean Kale and Fresh Fruit Cobbler. Simmons will appear from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Kailua store and on June 2 at Kapolei.

Visit www.downtoearth.org.

To commemorate its anniversary, the store is sharing a recipe for a papaya salad with strawberries and greens, served with baked coconut-crusted tofu.

PAPAYA SALAD WITH COCONUT TOFU

» Coconut Tofu:
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 tablespoons water
1-1/4 teaspoons agave
1 block of tofu
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut

» Papaya Salad:
5 ounces mixed salad greens
1 papaya, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 cup sliced strawberries

For coconut tofu, combine coconut aminos, water and agave to make a marinade and set aside in a baking pan.

Drain and rinse tofu. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Place in marinade and chill 30-45 minutes, turning halfway.

Roll tofu in shredded coconut and place on coconut-oiled baking sheet. Bake 24 minutes, turning halfway.

Remove from heat, let cool and cut each strip into 3 pieces.

Wash and rinse salad greens. Place in bowl. Place papayas and strawberries on greens. When cooled, add tofu to salad.

Serve with Papaya Seed Dressing (recipe follows). Serves 6.

PAPAYA SEED DRESSING

1 papaya, peeled
1/4 cup safflower oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup green onion
2 teaspoons agave

Place papaya in blender with half its seeds. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Nutritional information unavailable.