Saturday suppers (when it's a gazillion degrees in the shade!!)

 This is da bomb!!!!!  It's a cold soba noodle salad.  You know I am infatuated with those darn buckwheat soba noodles, right?  lol   So much so, that I ordered 2 boxes of them from Amazon some time back, because they were about half the price I had to pay at the health food store.  SO now I have a case and a half (9 packages) of sobe noodles in my pantry, just waiting for new and wonderful dishes. (because I am using them regularly).

  I searched the internet, found several recipes, as well as several remarks that they weren't crazy about the results. So I thought, well..I look 'em all over and then I tweak it to suit me!  And if it isn't awesome, I'll do something different next time.

  So, here are the ingredients I used:

  1 package (3 bundles) of organic soba noodles.

  2 carrots, julienned, pcs 1-2 inches long

  about half a cucumber, peeled and julienned

  4 tbsp. tamari sauce

  3 tbsp. sesame oil

  3 tbsp rice vinegar

  1 1/2 TSP. wasabi paste

  3 TSP. minced fresh ginger root

  3 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted (I used the black seeds because I was out of the white ones)

  scallions, tops, sliced (2-3 of them)

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  Easy enough. And the wasabi paste can be found almost anywhere these days, in the Asian foods section.

  So, to start, cook the soba noodles according to package directions. You'll want them a little al dente for this salad, just like you would any pasta product that you were using for a salad. When they're cooked, rinse them under cold water until they've cooled down and then set aside.

   Next, lightly steam the carrots then dunk in cold water to immediately cool them. You want them crispy cooked. I "match stick" cut my carrots, and maybe if you julienne them, they would be better left raw. Any way you decide, cut them up and set aside. 

  I toasted my sesame seeds in my smallest cast iron skillet on top of the stove (because when it's a gazillion degrees, you don't wanna turn the oven on!!)  Just put them in a dry skillet and low heat, stirring now and then,  until you can smell them.

Next it's time to mix the dressing that goes on this wonderful dish. I used a 2 cup measuring cup and put all the ingredients in (not the scallions--those are for the top of the finished product).  I used a 2 cup because I knew I would need a little wiggle room for mixing in that wasabi paste. I used a small whisk to make sure it was all blended.  I also peel the ginger, but I'm sure you know that!   Find a bowl that will hold your noodles and pour the dressing on and mix well (I always use my hands when it says mix well, lol)  Then put your cucumber and carrots and toasted sesame seeds  in and mix some more. One of the recipes I read said that this dish is usually served with either fish or egg, so I hard boiled some eggs and peeled them and put them in the fridge while I was cooking the noodles.  Cover your bowl and set it in the fridge for at least half an hour to give the flavors a chance to mingle.  When you're ready to eat, heap your plate with the soba salad and garnish with the eggs cut in quarters. Sprinkle your chopped scallions on top and ENJOY!!!!!!

 (Sorry, I forgot to take the picture until after I had dug into it! lol)

  The smell of the fresh ginger and the sesame oil is a force to be reckoned with...this was absolutely wonderful.  Really good food for a really hot day...YUM!

Bon Apetit!