Tag: Zucchini

Soba Noodles with Summer Squash and Mango

Soba Noodles with Summer Squash and Mango // Serious Crust
Soba Noodles with Summer Squash and Mango // Serious Crust
Soba Noodles with Summer Squash and Mango // Serious Crust
Soba Noodles with Summer Squash and Mango // Serious Crust

Soba noodles have become a staple in my kitchen. I have always liked them, but as the weather has been slowly getting warmer, and there’s lovely produce all around, they have been appearing more often in my kitchen. I love them with a light sauce made of rice vinegar and lime juice. But the true beauty of soba noodles, to me, is that they are delicious cold. The day after you make them, and they’ve been sitting in whatever sauce you’ve tossed them with, they become ultra flavorful and refreshing. I am a big fan. And I think you should be too.

Jonah came home this week, on Monday actually, and I had a feeling that cooking might not be exactly what he wanted to do the moment he stepped of the plane. So on Sunday night I made a big batch of soba noodles tossed with roasted zucchini, fresh mango, and a light citrus-y sauce. I ate a small bowl, and threw the rest in the fridge, knowing that it would be delicious the next day for dinner with some roasted green beens (also in the fridge).

I love how colorful this dish is, how summery it is, and how packed with flavor. I think it’d make a great cold side dish for a summer party (4th of July, anyone?), and it makes great leftovers to take to the office for lunch. You can add some seared tofu, or maybe even some grilled chicken.

Soba Noodles with Summer Squash and Mango

Ingredients

2 zucchini, julienned
2 summer squash, julienned
olive oil
salt
1 9-oz package buckwheat soba noodles
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped (and seeded, if you’re not feeling the heat)
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 ripe mango, peeled and julienned
~1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
~1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
optional but recommended: chopped peanuts to top (I used about 1/4 cup), lime wedges

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the julienned zucchini and squash with olive oil and salt. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned, tossing halfway through. Set aside to cool.

Cook the soba noodles as instructed on the package. Usually, this means boil them for about 4 minutes, drain them, rinse them with cold water, drain them, and spread them out on a dish towel to try.

While boiling the water for the noodles, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pot over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add garlic and jalapeño. Allow to cool, then add the lime juice and zest as well as the sesame oil. Whisk to combine. Put the soba noodles in a bowl, and toss with the dressing. Add the squash, mango, herbs, and nuts to the noodles, tossing to combine. Garnish with a sprinkle more of chopped peanuts and a lime wedge. Enjoy with a light beer on a hot day.

Weekend Finds 9:15:13

With my new job taking up my weekends, I’m having a bit of a hard time getting these weekly roundups to you on Friday But I am going to try harder! That being said, I’m going to start calling them Weekend Finds instead of Friday Finds, so hopefully I feel less guilty writing them on Sunday night.

1. Homemade Milano Cookies

Friday Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Homemade Milano Cookies by The Live In Kitchen

When I was younger, my mother loved Milano cookies. We would occasionally have a bag of them in the pantry, and after dinner I would sneak in and eat one… or two… or three. They are probably my favorite cookies for dipping in coffee and tea. This homemade version looks absolutely beautiful.

2. Zucchini overload

Friday Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
10 different things to do with your bounty of zucchini.

These days, there are those whose gardens are overflowing with gigantic zucchini, and after the 10th batch of zucchini bread, wish they could think of something else to do. Here are 10 other ideas. 

3. Squash blossom quesadillas with tomatillo salsa

Friday Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Zucchini blossom quesadillas

Speaking of zucchini, if you’ve still got any blossoms left, or some small fruits attached to the blossom, I would certainly jump on this quesadilla train immediately.

4. Personalized Pyrography Cutting Boards

Friday Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Wood-burned cutting boards

As soon as I saw this, I was dying over how beautiful and simple it was to make your own personalized wood-burned cutting board. If I have my way, I know what everyone I know will be getting for Chrismakkah. Also, pyrography is an awesome word.

5. Pluot and Poppy Yogurt Bowl

Friday Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Pluot Poppy Yogurt Bowl

I am consistently pleasantly surprised at the unique flavor combinations over on 101 cookbooks. She combines foods in a really wonderful way, and this pluot and poppy yogurt bowl is no different. And her photos are so beautiful. Now I just need to go pick up some pluots.