Getting Unstuck: Soba with Salmon and Watercress
Sometimes you sink into a period of un-wellness. Your friends are talking about meditation. They are writing every morning, going to yoga thrice weekly, digging deep into linguistic anthropology and composing songs for their lilting, lonesome voice, practicing from the front porch. They’re doing all the work required for self-actualization, and you, over there with your second bowl of raisin bran, can’t help but feel a little envious.
Earlier in the summer I wrote about the upside to being in a rut. But this isn’t rutness exactly. It’s stuck-ness. Somehow, there’s a difference. The former, let’s say, is about being widely disinterested in just about everything: nothing sparks excitement. But the latter is about wanting change, feeling drawn toward ideas and inspiration, but feeling unsure how to get there, how to reach and catch hold of those boot straps for a quick, momentum-building pull.
Perhaps this is a seasonal thing and an unwillingness to get on board with change. We wait and wait and wait through August’s blazing days for a respite, an apple, a cool morning. But then when it comes, we have trouble letting go. Something, my friend said, feels like it’s being lost forever. Does September make you feel dramatic like this, too? Does part of you––no matter how much you love plaid and the falling leaves and cozy afternoons spent reading––resist the change of the seasons?
And what does this have to do with soba noodles, exactly? Well, I can think of few things so oriented toward wellness than these slender strands of buckwheat and delicately poached salmon. Sometimes the way to usher in a new era––at least, the easiest, most concrete way––is through our daily bread. This light and lemony dish just might help ease the transition from steamy days to fall mornings. Maybe it will even spring some of us from our stuck-ness.
Soba with Salmon and Watercress
from Whole Living
Serves 4
6 ounces salmon fillet, skin removed
8 ounces soba noodles
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 1/2 cups watercress
In a straight-sided skillet over medium low heat, bring 2 inches of water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Gently place salmon in water. Poach at a low simmer until cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and let cool; flake into large pieces.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add soba and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
In a large bowl, toss soba with buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add watercress and salmon, and gently combine. Serve or refrigerate until ready to eat.
Katie: The transition from summer to fall is the most difficult one for me. All the more so when you are feeling stuck. Hope you find you way to getting un-stuck soon!1 year ago
Nimble: Sometimes I feel run over by fall. Now that I’m a mom of school aged kids, the school year start up sort of flattens me. But I love the return of bearable-to-be-outside temps and the decline in the mosquito populations.
I made a recipe for soba noodles and veggies this week. But when the only soba noodles I could find were $5 for 10 oz I decided that whole grain spaghetti would work just as well. Not enough soba competition to drive the price down here in Kansas.1 year ago
Sarah: I have been a long time reader and recently moved to Brooklyn from the Mitten state. I must say that the absence of red-leafed trees and the smell of cider donuts has left me, a little empty and feeling slightly homesick.
I was just beginning to embrace the city summer and now it’s leaving. It is these times that I need to remind myself of the wonders of fall and ignore the looming winter months just around the corner. Here’s to caramel apples, cardigans, scarves, red wine, hearty soups, and of course to becoming unstuck.1 year ago
Christine S.: Well, as a teacher and parent, the return of fall is somewhat bittersweet. I love this time of year, though. In fact, I love all seasons and actually long for the transition. After living in Texas for 17 yrs., returning to the PA has renewed my senses about season changes…it has been a pleasant revisit!1 year ago
anne: Yes, it definitely makes me feel dramatic too. I’ve always thought the summer to fall transition was the most difficult. You wrote it more beautifully than I could have ever imagined.1 year ago
Lisa (dinner party): As much as I am ready for fall, I feel you. It’s Stuck City over here.
(But those noodles look gooood.)1 year ago
ruth@gracelaced: I just wrote about my new ice cream: Blue Bell’s Kettle Corn Crunch for this very reason. Because letting go is sometimes hard to do, and some things (like ridiculously divine ice cream) can make you believe for an instant, that you really can have both.1 year ago
Ann: Love this entry, Sarah, and I can’t wait to try the recipe. I love a nice, cold noodle recipe.1 year ago
Ashley: September often gives me that stuck feeling (in fact, I have been in it for the past few weeks). I think it’s because after so many years of the back to school anticipation, we expect something exciting, a blank page in September for a new year. And then when that first day marker isn’t there anymore, we have to find it/make it for ourselves. Ugh.
I’m starting a 30-day yoga challenge next week to try and kick-start me for the fall. Thanks for the lovely looking recipe–And the feeling that it’s not just me who feels stuck right now!1 year ago
Kristina S: Agreed. Having just graduated college last May, I’m both excited and sad to see the school supplies aisle return to Target. Fall is by far my favorite season and the ushering in of new writing implements and notebooks gives me a rush, followed by a pop and a slow fizzle knowing that unless I go to grad school I won’t be cashing in on any cute goodies for practical reasons.
But there’s always October to turn things around, which I find to be the epitome of autumnal glory. Just keep your head up til then!1 year ago
molly: Indeed, this sounds like a PERFECT welcome to fall. I adore fall no end, but know not everyone does. But when accompanied by soba? And salmon? Well! Darn near impossible to go wrong.1 year ago
Heather: Oh, I feel you so much! The transition from summer to fall is a very dramatic time for me. It is like summer is deserting me, breaking up with me, telling me it never really loved me at all… I try to look at all the great times we had, and think about how nice fall will be. I still feel sad and lonely when it’s gone though.1 year ago