As it gets warmer in the desert, we start thinking of meals that are chilled or, at the very least, room temperature.
When the mercury hits 100°f (38°C), even I don’t feel like cranking up the stove.
I must admit, though, that on the weekend, I have been known to crank the solar-powered air-conditioning so that I can cook some good, old-fashioned comfort food in, well, comfort!
When the weather is hot, I like to make part of our dinner in the morning before work when it’s coolest to avoid heating up the kitchen when we’ll be spending time at home in the evening.
We have a very open house. The kitchen is open into the dining and living areas, and the heat from the stove and oven travels fast.
I love having the open floor plan; it makes for very comfortable and effortless entertaining. I never actually have to leave the party when I go to the kitchen to finish up. But I don’t want to make everyone hot when cooking on a summer night.
Today’s recipe is a perfect summer entertaining recipe adapted from Noodles, a cookbook I posted about a couple of months ago. It was a gift from my friends Philip and Patricia, and has been a wonderful addition to my library.
I say this recipe is perfect because I made the entire thing in the morning, and was able to get home, put out some light hors d’œuvres (some terrific seaweed products from SeaSnax) and take time to enjoy our guests for the evening. I finished the meal with a mango and avocado salad dressed with honey and lime, followed by a wonderful ginger-coconut ice cream, which I also made in advance. (Recipe coming soon!)
Just because the weather is hot, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to cook or entertain. But it does mean that I approach it differently.
Roll on summer!
~ David
Smoked Salmon and Soba Noodle Salad
Adapted from NOODLES by Vicky Liley
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin
1 English cucumber, or 4 Persian cucumbers
6 scallions, sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces soba noodles
8 ounces smoked salmon, flaked
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
lime wedges for serving
Combine the lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, and mirin on a bowl and whisk well. Set aside.
Peel the cucumber and discard skins. Using the peeler, make lengthwise peels while turning the cucumber, in effect, making wide cucumber noodles. When you get to the seeds, stop peeling. Discard the seeds, and set cucumber noodles aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt lightly.
Blanch the scallions for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from water with a mesh strainer and set aside to cool.
Cook noodles as directed on the package in the same water. Drain and allow to cool.
In a bowl, combine cooled noodles, reserved cucumber noodles, blanched scallions. flaked salmon, and cilantro leaves. Add dressing and toss gently.
Divide among 4 chilled plates, and serve with lime wedges.
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john | heneedsfood
June 28, 2014 at 10:45 pmAs I sit here typing with cold and numb fingers and gorgeous fluffy slippers on my feet, 38°C sounds a little attractive. Perhaps for a couple of minutes, anyway.
I love soba noodles. I think next time I smoke a piece of fish I may have to make this noodle dish.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 29, 2014 at 1:55 pmSorry it is so cold there, but we all know it's coming. Actually, yesterday hit 41°C (106°F) – but we are pretty used to it by now. John, I think I need to start smoking my own fish (as well as poultry and meats).
Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things
June 29, 2014 at 6:46 amDavid, like John said, it's freezing in Australia right now and you salad sounds exquisite! Would you mind if I made it myself and blogged it, with credit back to you, of course?
Cocoa & Lavender
June 29, 2014 at 1:57 pmLiz – of course you can! I am honored. I remember the first time I read one of your posts – it was a shrimp salad, and when I was making this, I actually thought of that shrimp salad and you!
Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things
June 29, 2014 at 6:47 amPS I have the book, I should take a look at it!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 29, 2014 at 1:58 pmI have actually made several recipes in this book and like them a lot. Since Mark loves noodle dishes, this is a great resource for me.
Padaek
June 29, 2014 at 7:49 amThis looks wonderful – such clean and refreshing ingredients. Perfectly delicious in its simplicity.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 29, 2014 at 1:59 pmThanks, Padaek! The simplicity really makes this salad.
Chef Mimi
June 29, 2014 at 1:14 pmLove all of those ingredients! A perfect summer salad!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 29, 2014 at 2:00 pmThanks, Mimi – and so glad you stopped by Cocoa & Lavender!
Valentina
June 29, 2014 at 3:10 pmI love this recipe – how perfect for a night in on a warm evening. The second image is so beautifully photographed. Frameable.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 29, 2014 at 4:06 pmThanks, Valentina! I am so pleased you like the second photo. It was a last minute choice and I am glad I used it. As we are having a lot of warm nights, this might be dinner several times in the next few months!
Cheri Savory Spoon
June 29, 2014 at 3:41 pmHi David, this salad is right up my alley, soba noodles are my favorite and salmon is my all time favorite fish. Looking forward to your ginger coconut ice cream recipe.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 29, 2014 at 4:07 pmSalmon is my favorite fish, too. I just love it. Still fine-tuning the ginger coconut ice cream recipe – you may have to wait till fall, Cheri! 🙂
Penny
June 29, 2014 at 10:25 pmSummers in New Bern NC are pretty hot, too, and we have the humidity. This dish will be a great one to add to my list of summer survival recipes.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 30, 2014 at 4:02 amI don't envy you the humidity, Penny! I like it nice and dry… But, you have such good seafood there – this should be an easy treat!
Anonymous
June 30, 2014 at 1:03 amI have bookmarked this recipe for when the weather gets a bit warmer here 🙂 I am looking forward to the recipe for the ginger and coconut ice cream that sounds right up my street..now I have to ask myself is it ever to cold to eat ice cream?
Anonymous
June 30, 2014 at 3:43 amKaren, the answer is definitely no. I have eaten ice cream at -12 degrees C with a beanie and woollen gloves on… and the benefit is that not one drop melts from your cone! Ice cream lovers unite!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 30, 2014 at 4:01 amThere are two definite season for eating ice cream. NOW… and Five minutes from NOW. 🙂 I love ice cream in the winter – it reminds me of summer…
Anonymous
June 30, 2014 at 3:46 amThis is such a perfect, light and delicious salad David! I adore soba noodles, they're such a great resilient vehicle for salad dressings and strong flavours. That hot-smoked salmon looks AMAZING. Aaron would drool if he saw this post… it's one of his very favourite things (but alas, he is at home and I am at work, getting very hungry at my desk!). I'm glad that you're surviving the hot weather… we're freezing over here!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 30, 2014 at 4:04 amMaybe you should share it with Aaron, Laura! I personally think the hot weather is easier to manage than the cold weather – at least the trees aren't bare and there are lots of flowers blooming! Stay warm and keep sending good recipes!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
June 30, 2014 at 8:40 amDear David, recipes like this are invaluable to have on hand, particularly if entertaining and just because if it is too hot for cooking during the day – I love the freshness of all the ingredients that you used, the salad sounds divine! Period.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 30, 2014 at 12:53 pmThanks, Andrea! Fresh and light is the key for summer!
Robin
June 30, 2014 at 11:02 amwow its unique nice idea chef
Thanks for share. I really excited to read this blog. I am also from chef background and love to enjoy reading and learning new things.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 30, 2014 at 12:55 pmThanks, Robin – and thanks for stopping by!
Kathy
June 30, 2014 at 4:59 pmWhat a great salad…looks hearty and full of flavor! I love soba noodles!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 1, 2014 at 2:43 pmKathy – everybody seems to love soba noodles – I wonder why we don't use them more! Have a great 4th!
Colette (Coco)
July 1, 2014 at 7:28 pmD, that salmon looks awesome. Shawn usually smokes it for us at home and we freeze what's left, which usually isn't much.
He would love this dish. I have to make it tonight.
Tinks! xoxo
Cocoa & Lavender
July 1, 2014 at 8:38 pmColette – you are so lucky to have Sean to smoke salmon for you. I have to talk to Mark about that… Let me know if you make it! xox
Nuts about food
July 2, 2014 at 8:56 amUncanny, this is not the first time this has happened. Just made a cold soba noodle salad last night for the first time and was getting ready to post about it and decided to catch up on my reading after a week away… and ta daa! You made it too (before me might I add). I love your version, I will be trying it for sure.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 2, 2014 at 1:30 pmThat is really amazing, Fiona! It is nice that great stomachs think alike! Glad you are back and look forward to your posts!
Unknown
July 3, 2014 at 2:01 amHow refreshing & summery!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 3, 2014 at 4:55 amThanks, Susan!
Daniela Grimburg
July 3, 2014 at 10:57 amBeautiful combination of summery flavors and textures.
A perfect treat for warmer days.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 3, 2014 at 12:38 pmThank you, Daniela!
Sippity Sup
July 4, 2014 at 3:06 pmI am in the desert myself right now (Palm Springs) and we have plenty of left over salmon from dinner last night. Perhaps this is fate. However the markets here are painful
Cocoa & Lavender
July 4, 2014 at 8:52 pmI have only been to Palm Springs once, and never had the opportunity to shop. I guess opportunity is the wrong word, eh? I am thinking you might have trouble with the soba noodles. Maybe you could buy them from a Japanese restaurant!
Anonymous
September 1, 2014 at 12:31 pmLike this cool and that recipe is definitely a good I will be making them
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