Cool Ginger Sesame Soba
It almost makes this Tuesday after a long Memorial Day weekend more bearable that here in my neighborhood, a gray screen has been pulled over the sky and little brown leaves are scurrying around in tornado fashion when the wind blows. This couldn’t be more unlike the three previous days, days that I can only hope are a harbinger of what’s to come this summer.
Doesn’t it sometimes seem like no expectations are the secret to a really good time? I’m not the biggest fan of hot summer holiday weekends. I never seem to have plans and always end up sitting in a park wondering why I’m not barbecuing for a crowd. But this weekend I had a wee little plan that involved running from the city to a suburban town where the streets are wide and lined with old trees and the yards are lush with azaleas, rhododendrons, and climbing roses. We had a picnic on a wide, sloping green lawn — complete with ants — and watched the clouds move slowly across the sky. We took naps in the afternoon with a breeze coming through the window into the hot upstairs bedroom. We took walks with frequent stops on shady benches and ate drippy ice cream cones. And I sat on the porch in the early evening, reading The Wapshot Chronicle, and drinking a dirty martini.
The essence of summer, though, was a trip to the municipal pool one afternoon. On my short list of favorite activities in the world, swimming is right up there. I can’t quite explain what happens to me in the water — I’m not doing flip turns and cutting through the chlorine like a shark, I just kind of paddle around, smile a lot and get my hair wet. But I feel totally overwhelmed by the purest, most basic form of joy. And then, once I’m tired, I climb out of the water and rest prone with my head on my folded hands, the sun drying my swimsuit, and listen to the sounds of Marco Polo and scolding lifeguards.
This is all to say that it’s a good thing today is a bit dreary or I would be very sad my perfect, picnicy weekend is not continuing with me poolside, reading, drinking a fountain soda from the pool’s snack shack, and eating these cold noodles.
Cool Ginger Sesame Noodles
adapted from Super Natural Cooking
Serves 2 generously
for the dressing:
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
for the noodles:
6 ounces dried soba noodles
6 ounces extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 English cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced
First, the dressing: combine zest, ginger, honey, cayenne and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.
Cook the soba in boiling water until just tender (this happens pretty fast). Then drain and rinse under cold running water. While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut into rectangles 1/2 inch thick and 1 inch long. In a dry, nonstick skillet over moderately-high heat, cook the tofu a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, cilantro, green onions, cucumber and 2/3 of the dressing and toss until well combined. Add the tofu, toss again gently, and serve.
anne: Yum! Sounds taaasty.1 year ago
Nosheteria: Wapshot Chronicles is one of my all time favorite books! Good choice for a summer read!1 year ago
OMG! I love it so hard so far. Totally, totally great. (And very, very summery!)1 year ago
Lisa (dinner party): That does sound like a perfect, picnic-y weekend! Ice cream and afternoon naps–count me in on that!1 year ago
michele rosenthal: Have you read “Trail of Crumbs” by Kim Sunee?? I’m almost finished with it and love it..I can’t wait until my blueberry bushes are ready so I can try the blueberry soup recipe she has in the book. I’m also going to use it to make blueberry champagne spritzers. I’m trying to cook and bake by whatever my garden is offering me these days, it is great inspiration and very economical!! I just made some delicious fresh cherry almond tarts over the weekend. Your blog is so fantastic, I can’t wait to read it each day!!!1 year ago
Lisa, Here’s to much more of that this summer, only in a Brooklyn-bound kind of way.
Michele, Aren’t you the sweetest?! I’m so jealous that you have blueberry bushes and a garden to call your own. I’ve been thinking lots of champagne cocktail recipes look especially yummy lately. And to answer your question, yes, I have read that book! I lost it under my brother’s bed and nearly had to pay the library a million dollars for it, but it did sweep me away to a fragrant, sun-drenched place…and in the dead of winter, too.1 year ago
Dana McCauley: My son Oliver would LOVE this dish and I have soba noodles in the cupboard - bookmarking this instant!1 year ago
Sara Rose: I love swimming too! I just paddle around like a drowning dog mostly but whatever. We wanted to take Eva this weekend so badly because the 1st weekend of the summer is free at the public pool, but of course rain and thunderstorms had to come say poo-poo to that. Oh well. It was a good weekend anyhow.
Mmmmmmm cold soba noodles. Why can’t I get Nolan to love cold soba noodles the way I do? He says that no matter what you do with them they just taste like gym socks to him. WHAT!!?!?!?!??!?!??!
Mmmmmmmmmmm champagne anything sounds great right now. I’m full of mmmmm’s apparently.1 year ago
Cordelia: Is that really your summer bathing suit? If so, brava. Or is it a dream one? Because that would be my dream bathing suit.1 year ago
PB: Yum! Sounds taaasty.1 year ago
s. stockwell: Your posts are always a good read and this is another good one. Love the idea of sipping a tini on the porch?
Nice dish too. Thanks, s1 year ago
Cordelia, I am proud to say that is really my bathing suit! LOVE it.1 year ago
Sara Rose: I almost bought that swimsuit last year too, btw. Soooo chic!1 year ago
You can’t really do much in it, fyi, but paddle around and lay. It’s a wardrobe malfunction just waiting to happen.1 year ago
Chris: This sounds really good. Are you using a plain rice vinegar or a seasoned one?1 year ago
Seasoned — will put that in the recipe. (BTW, I try to usually buy unseasoned, but I’ll use the two interchangeably if they only have seasoned at the store.)1 year ago
megan: yum. made it today with udon to have around during this hell week. it’s just gonna be a challenge not to eat it all at once! uff…;)1 year ago