Soba and Asparagus Salad

I am definitely back at work.  There is no doubt about it.  My muscles ache.  My feet ache.  Even the marrow in my bones ache. 

By the time this gets posted, I might not even be alive.  Today is the first day of school for everyone (all the students).  This past Friday was freshman-only day, so they would've had a weekend to relax before the big dogs usurp the coveted areas on campus they thought they could claim. Hopefully they listened carefully to the senior guides.  I like the way the school allows seniors to do a service project for freshman-only day by serving as guides. 

Last week was the first full work week for teachers.  I think I came home from work just too tired to cook, which is how we ended up eating take-out food or food from the freezer all week.  I don't think defrosting and heating frozen food counts as "cooking".

One night I felt a little guilty because D2 and I ate 2 lbs of crab between us.  D1 had gone out for the evening so D2 suggested we eat the crab we bought the last time from Costco.  She said she's been craving crab from early summer, even before she went to Japan, and she didn't get to eat any crab in Japan.  Poor thing.  Times must've been hard!  Anyway, the crab was so yummy.  I will need to get more the next time I head to Costco.  2 lbs was just enough for the two of us.

I finally decided to get off my ass yesterday and sort-of cook.  Because it's been so hot and muggy recently, a cool dish like this was so  refreshing.  If I had any leftover crab, I would've sprinkled some over the top.  IF I had any leftover crab. . .

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Soba and Asparagus Salad

     1 pkg (about 12 ounces) soba

     1 lb asparagus

     1/2 c chicken broth

     1/4 c shoyu

     3 tbsp sugar

     1/2 tsp Hondashi

     2 tbsp sesame seeds

     2 tbsp sesame oil

     2 tbsp rice vinegar

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine chicken broth, shoyu, sugar, Hondashi, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.  Shake to dissolve sugar.  Chill.  Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.  Cook asparagus for 2 minutes.  Remove and plunge into ice water immediately.  Drain well.  Slice into 3/4" pieces.  Cook soba according to package directions (most packages suggest boiling for 6-7 minutes).  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Drain soba well and place in serving dish.  Add asparagus.  Shake dressing and pour over soba and asparagus.  Toss gently before eating.

Potluck Food: Soba Salad

I have a whole bunch of work-related food needs this week.  Today I'm at a most-of-the-day meeting, and I have a plate of banana bread to share.  Tomorrow's training will either be an opportunity to share more banana bread or perhaps a pumpkin cake.  Wednesday is an office potluck (of course, what else?), and I'm still undecided about what to bring.  Of course, if we don't bring anything to these events, there would be nothing to eat, and what good is a meeting/training without food.

When the Hawaii economy took a downturn for the worse, the DOE cut back by not providing meals at workshops and trainings.  While some people were saddened by the lack of opportunity for a meal on the DOE's dime, I certainly wasn't.  Although free to the participant, the meals usually consisted of tasteless food.  I was working out of a Honolulu-based office at the time, and what we did was pool our $ together and have lunch catered for us or had a potluck.

Pooling $ together was great in Honolulu because of the wide range of places that were willing to cater or provide a bento.  Hilo doesn't have nearly the range of choices as Honolulu, so what we end up doing is having potluck.  Everyone brings something to share.  In spite of not being told what to bring, things always seem to work out.

Soba Salad is something which invariably can be found at most potlucks.  Soba Salad is a variation on Somen Salad.  Boiled Japanese noodles are cooled and topped with things like fish cake and vegetables.  A shoyu-based sauce is poured over just before eating..  Soba is Japanese buckwheat noodles.  It is easily identified by its gray-brown color.  Soba noodles can be purchased at any supermarket (even Wal-Mart and Target).
I used hijiki, wakame, watercress, kaiware (daikon sprouts), uzumaki (rolled pinwheel fishcake which is likely known as narutomaki outside of Hawaii), and shredded red pickled ginger to top my soba, but I've had versions which contained imitation crab shreds, taegu shreds, maui onion, cucumber, and ocean salad.  The idea is to use whatever you have on hand.  This is especially refreshing on a hot day.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Soba Salad

Salad ingredients:

     1/2 c hijiki

     3 tbsp oil

     3 tbsp shoyu

     3 tbsp sugar

     1/4 oz wakame (this will seem like just a little)

     1 bunch watercress, trimmed and cut into 1" lengths

     4 oz kaiware, root ends cut off

     1 roll uzumaki, slivered

     2 tbsp red shredded pickled ginger

     16 oz dried soba noodles

Dressing:

     3/4 c vegetable oil

     3/4 c shoyu

     3/4 c lemon juice

     5 tbsp sugar

Soak hijiki in a bowl of warm water for 20 minutes.  While hijiki is soaking, combine dressing ingredients in a jar.  Shake well and set aside.  Drain water from hijiki, and press out as much water as possible without mashing hijiki.  In a small skillet, heat 3 tbsp oil.  Add hijiki, 3 tbsp shoyu, and 3 tbsp sugar.  Cook until liquid is absorbed.  Set aside to cool.  In a small bowl, soak wakame in a bowl of cold water for 7 minutes.  Drain, pressing out as much water as possible.  Set aside.  Boil soba noodles for 6-7 minutes.  Rinse under cold water until cool.  Drain well.  In a 9 x 13" pan or other comparable flat dish, arrange soba in an even layer.  Top with hijiki, kaiware, watercress, wakame, uzumaki, and pickled ginger.  Pour dressing over entire salad just before serving.

As an alternative, served dressing alongside salad, allowing guests to dress their salads individually.  If doing this,  make 1 1/2 or 2 quantities of dressing.