Slow Food Sunday: Soba salad with new friends

Several weeks ago I told my friend, Elle, about my Slow Food Sunday declaration. I have been enjoying this dedicated time with my husband. It has given us an opportunity for many laughs and wonderful kisses in between steps of a recipe. Not to mention, we've enjoyed eating some fabulous meals together in recent weeks.

Tonight I'm abandoning my husband for an equally important event: I've been invited to tag along with my friend, Elle, to her friend's house for dinner. It's a girl gathering of five women getting together to enjoy some quality "girl" time over a home cooked meal. We've each been assigned a dish to go with her Asian chicken entree. Considering how wonderful it's been having a Slow Food Sunday routine with my man, it should be hilarious fun to get five intelligent women in the same room to enjoy a home cooked meal together. I haven't met any of them before, but I look forward to making new friends.

While I don't have much experience cooking anything Asian, I recalled a Soba Salad that I had made once as a bed for some really delicious citrus ginger scallops. I figured that would be my closest shot at a complimentary dish. I scoured the dark recesses of my bookcase and managed to find the aged, crinkled, torn-out page of the magazine's recipe. I remember thinking this recipe was on the high-maintenance side, so patience is required. But I also remember how yummy and healthful this was when I made it many years ago.

This is Jicama, also known as Mexican Turnip Root. Peel it and julienne the pieces into 1/8" matchstick size strings.

Julienne some red bell pepper too.

Cucumber (peeled and seeded)

Add some julienned scallions (about 4) for some flavor.

chop up about 2 cups of mustard greens. I love the peppery taste of mustard greens.

Now bring 4-5 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil and place these Soba noodles in the pot along with 1/2 cup of cold water. When the pot returns to a boil, add another 1/2 cup of cold water. Do it one more time when the water returns to a boil. Watch it carefully. Unlike me, you'll want to remove it from the heat before the pot boils over! The noodles should be tender but not too much. Pour the pot into a colander and rinse with cold water immediately. Let it drain and rinse it again. Let drain.

Place the noodles in a large bowl with about a tablespoon of sesame oil and toss to coat them completely.

In another bowl, toss all your julienned veggies together.


Lovely.

Now mix it all together with a tablespoon (or so) of seasoned rice vinegar. And enjoy this with friends. Each serving contains about 122 calories and 1 gram fat.