Buckwheat (Soba) Noodle Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

“Did you ever have rules when you were first dating someone?”

“No. No, I don’t think so.”

“Really? Because I feel like all girls have rules. Especially when we’re younger, in our 20s.”

“Like what?”

I paused, wondering if I should tell Roo all the ridiculous ‘rules’ my friends and I had while in undergrad. “Well…” I decided to start off slow, “Never display any sort of bodily function in front of them, like burp or fart.”

“Right, because girls don’t poop.”

“Yes.  And we also don’t cry while looking in the mirror.”

Roo nodded as he scooped up a piece of broccoli with his fork.

“Also, don’t laugh so hard that you snort or God forbid fart.”

“Didn’t you once -”

“No.”

“When we were walking back from Thai Red Pepper -”

I grabbed a napkin to blot my mouth, “No. That never happened.”

Roo stifled a laugh, “Ok, what else?”

“Don’t sleep with someone before the third date,” I replied, half focused on getting a few sunflower seeds onto the tines of my fork, “And if you do sleep with that person -”

“After the third date of course.”

I smiled, “Yes.  If you sleep with that person you must wake up before they do so you can freshen up.”

“Like get rid of swamp mouth?”

“And that oily mess you call your face, yes.”

“Well, what about dinner? You went from talking to that person to sleeping with them. Makes me think you were a bit -”

“Hey! Hey now. Alright, dinner. Well, never order noodles because no one wants to see you slurp and sputter sauce everywhere.”

Roo raised an eyebrow.

“I know, I know. They were ridiculous.”

“No, it’s not that.”

“What?”

“That last bite you took of soba. I think you got some dressing on your shirt.”

I glanced down to see a giant stain on my right breast.  It looked like I was lactating.  “Great. See? This is why we have rules.”

Easy, Spicy, Garlicky Green Beans

Ladylike would not be the best way to describe me.

My mother “glistens” when she works out.  Unfortunately I was not lucky enough to inherit this trait.  Instead, I sweat like a plow horse on a sunny July afternoon.  Thanks Dad.

My dancing could only be described as this.  My moves are as smooth as the big guy in the back with the striped tee.  That’s me, inebriated at weddings.  God help me if I’m sober, as what results is an awkward half-Asian hiding in a corner, clapping along to keep up appearances.   Because you know, it’s not like everyone’s paying attention to the bride or anything.

And then there’s the way I eat.  Granted, I do eat with my mouth closed but I do it at such speed that you’d think I was trying to finish my meal under threat of gunfire.

For this, I blame growing up with a brother who seemed to never escape puberty.  There would be times when I’d turn my back away from my plate and a chicken breast would be missing.  Now I understand that growing boys need food, but really?  That much?  And mine?

Thankfully(?) Roo eats the same way I do.  Growing up with three other siblings (two of them being boys) he learned to be protective at an early age.  That, and if you didn’t eat quick enough, you weren’t able to have seconds as there wouldn’t be anything left.

And when I shovel green beans into my mouth, not taking the time to cut their long stalks in half, instead using the inside of my cheek to bend them in half, Roo doesn’t say a thing.  In fact, he keeps an eye on my pace so that he can stay a few mouthfuls ahead of me.

So he can get seconds of course.

Green Bean Succotash

This is Roo’s last week of teaching at the school.  Needless to say, I’m jealous that he’ll have the summer off to do what he likes while I commute an hour to work everyday; hostage to fluorescent lighting and windows that don’t open.  He’s said that he’s going to get another job (working part time waiting tables), but I have my doubts.  Well, the green eyed jealous beast (think Yeti, because hairy = more terrifying) that looms inside me has its doubts.

I’ve never been jealous of Roo’s job until now, especially after my boss and I planned out my schedule this week, which is always set six weeks in advance.  As of today, I’m booked till the end of July.  Wait, what happened!?

And with the feeling that summer is slipping through my fingers (even though it has just begun), I’ve been scooping up seasonal items at our local vegetable stand, like it’s the end of the world.  Or, the end of summer produce.

The other day they were trying to get all their asparagus sold before the end of Saturday (because they’re closed on Sunday) and offered 2 bunches for $1. I almost felt guilty buying four bunches, but, the moment passed after I yanked out two trays of roasted asparagus with parmesan cheese and lemon zest out of the oven.  It tasted too good to feel bad.

This week they were doing the same with their sweet corn.  Five for $1.  And it’s good!  It’s always good!

So with intentions of only stopping by to say “hi,” to Johnny D himself, and pick up a tomato or two (who am I kidding, I knew I can never leave that place with just one tomato), I left the store with two heavy bags of produce.  And like Gollum, I sat on the floor of our kitchen, admiring my bounty and shooing the cats away whenever they neared (they’re obsessed with greens…our cats are weird).

There were so many possibilities of what dishes I could make with the pounds of veg I purchased.  But I knew with the many, many ears of corn, I had to make succotash.

“Ew, succotash?” is what my Dad replied when I told him what I was making for dinner.   And to think about it, “Ew, succotash?” is probably how a lot of people feel, because of lima beans.  I’ll admit it, I’ve never had succotash before because of the lima bean factor.  The dish was pigeon-holed with others that contained things like okra and natto.

It wasn’t until I read Cooking for Mr. Latte and learned that the author had made succotash with green beans, that I decided to give it a try.  It had all the components I liked: green beans, corn and thyme; although I have never tried them together.  Instead of chives, I threw in an onion to brown in the olive oil.  There was an option of adding goat cheese to the dish, but I love the flavors just the way they are.  The thyme pairs really well with the sweet corn and I didn’t want to take away from that.  It’s a great side to grilled chicken, and I loved having it with some vine ripened tomatoes on the side.

Adapted from Cooking for Mr. Latte

A generous side dish for two (probably three)

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Ingredients

Two ears of corn

Two large handfuls of green beans

One large onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

Two tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

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Equipment

One large pot

A large saute pan

A sharp knife

A spatula/tongs

A large bowl filled halfway with water and about a tray (12) of ice cubes

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Fill a large pot with water and season with salt.  Bring it to a roaring boil.  Add the corn and boil for about two minutes.  Remove the corn from the water and add the green beans.  Boil the green beans for about four minutes.  Remove the green beans and plunge them into the ice water bath.  Remove the green beans from the ice water bath and set them aside with the corn.

Cut the corn from the corn cobs.  Cut the green beans into a half inch pieces (it doesn’t have to be exact, just small enough to easily eat).

Add the olive oil to the saute pan and set it on a burner on medium heat.  When the oil starts to shimmer, add the diced onion.  Move the diced onion around the saute pan with the spatula, occasionally, until they become golden brown.  Add the thyme and stir into the onions until fragrant, about a thirty seconds.  Add the corn and green beans and stir in with the diced onion.  I like to cook the ingredients from this point for about three minutes, so that they are completely heated through.  However, if you taste the corn (and green beans) and it isn’t soft enough to your liking, keep stirring until it is.  Add salt to taste.

Remove from heat and add pepper to taste.

Green Bean Salad with Pickled Red Onions and Fried Almonds

I have been anxiously waiting spring’s arrival and with that there have been cravings for something bright.  Lemon blueberry cakes have been nibbled on with lady grey tea in hand, various fruit smoothies have been blended after dinner, and I even made my own Limoncello for the first warm night we have; ready to be corked in a month!

But tonight I needed something acidic.

Perhaps it’s because I’m half Japanese, but I love bright, acidic flavors. Pickled cucumbers, pickled plums; it all gets piled atop a little bowl of white rice.  Luckily for Roo, it didn’t come down to me sitting on the floor (because everything is tastier when you’re not sitting in a chair), eating bowl after bowl of white rice topped with mysterious pickled items.  I think if he found me with my back against the wall, belly bloated, with bits of rice in my hair, that that would be a deal breaker.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

One pound green beans

1 medium red onion (this gives you a lot, if you don’t think you’d like a lot of onion, go with 1/2)

1/2 cup red wine vinegar (I’m an acid addict.  If you’re weary, start with a 1/4 cup and adjust to taste)

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (I used raw cane sugar)

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (I used Diamond, if you have something finer, please use 1/2 tablespoon)

1/3 cup whole almonds (I realize that whole almonds are a bit pricey. I have used slivered almonds, and these also work)

1 tablespoon olive oil

*Keep your olive oil around if you want to balance out the acidity of your salad (about 2 tablespoons)

*Keep your salt around for boiling your green beans

Equipment

A very sharp knife

Tongs

A Cutting board

A large pot (that can fit your pound of green beans and about eight cups of water)

A sautè pan (medium sized, does not need tall sides)

Two large bowls

One smaller bowl (like one you use for eating cereal with)

A heat resistant (ie not plastic) plate (covered with one or two paper towels)

In a small bowl, combine red wine vinegar, water, sugar and salt.  If you started with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, whisk the ingredients together and taste.  If the acidity is sufficient, leave it.  If not, adjust to taste.

If you’re using a whole red onion, cut it in half, then slice (both halves, one at a time) very thinly.  If you’re only using half an onion, great, you can skip a step and start slicing it thinly straight away.  Add the onion slices to your small bowl with the pickling solution.  Let it sit for at least a half an hour.  I usually let it sit for an hour (as it takes me about an hour to finish cooking dinner).

Put about 6 – 8 cups of salted (I add a few tablespoons) water into your large pot and bring to a boil.  Wash your green beans and trim the tails.  Add the green beans when your water is at a rolling boil.  Cook 4 – 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your ice water bath in one of the large bowls (I add about 10 – 12 ice cubes to a large bowl of water, filled halfway).  If you don’t want to use an ice water bath, then cook the green beans a minute less, since they will continue to still cook when you remove them from the boiling water.

After 4 minutes, turn the burner off, and remove the green beans from the pot with your tongs, into the ice water bath.  After all the green beans have been “bathed,” drain the green beans into a colander.  They can hang out in the colander until you assemble the salad.

Over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil into a sautè pan.  When the oil starts to shimmer, add the almonds.  Roll the almonds around the pan (if whole 2 – 3 minutes, if slivered, ~1 minute) until coffee (black, no milk) colored.  Be careful to not let the almonds sit in the oil for too long in one spot as they will burn.  Remove the almonds from the pan, and move to a plate lined with one or two paper towels to pick up any excess oil.  Season with a pinch of salt (if desired) and let cool.

After an hour (or at least thirty minutes) of the pickling solution working its magic on those red onions, you can assemble your salad.  Plate the salad by picking up a mound of green beans with your tongs.  Add the pickled onions (don’t forget about the pickling solution, it’s delicious!) and top with the fried almonds.  I will admit that I grabbed a handful of the almonds (sorry Roo) and spooned about two tablespoons of the pickling solution on top of my salad.  If you find it too acidic for your palate (the pickling solution alone), you can mellow it out with a tablespoon (or two) of olive oil.