Cold Soba Noodles and Vegetables

Wow. It is hot. Again, I’m not complaining. I remember all too well the frigid temperatures and deep snowfall of this past winter, and given the choice I will choose to spend my days in a sort of heat-induced lethargy. I am just thankful beyond words that I don’t have a job which involves leaving the house. Even though we do not have air conditioning, I would not want to be commuting. Or shingling a roof.

I didn’t run last week, it was just so nasty outside. But this week I have forced myself to go out. Nights spent tossing in an 85 degree bedroom are not pleasant, so I have tried to wake up early and go out. Unfortunately all of my trails are grassy, so my feet are usually soaked before I leave the yard. And cobwebs! All through the woodland trails the spiders spend their nights spinning webs back and forth across the trails. I have taken to waving a forked branch in front of me which does catch 90% of the cobwebs, but it’s not a pretty sight but I am thankful that I am running on our private property and nobody has to see that. By the time I return I am beat. At 8am! But a shower revives me; then breakfast, and I plan the rest of the day’s meals.

Who wants to cook when it is so steamy outside? I plan to make a cold soba noodle salad for lunch and am now boiling water in the microwave. I’ll add some of the veggies just before the noodles are done cooking, drain it all, toss with a sesame dressing, and chill. Jack wants spaghetti for dinner, so I’ll boil the pasta then, as well. It’s tricky to boil past in the microwave, but I’ve figured it out for mine (since microwaves vary in power, it’s almost impossible to give general directions that everyone can use. It becomes a test-and-adapt process).

There is no recipe for this salad. I used soba noodles, strips of red pepper, carrot, onion, and cucumber. The pepper and carrot were added to the noodles about 1-1/2 minutes before the noodles were done, then all was drained and then plunged into ice water and drained again. I made a dressing from soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, a little Thai hot pepper, and sesame oil. Strips of cucumber and then the veggies and noodles were added, tossed, and served with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

Simple, delicious, and COOL! ;)