Gagh

This is one of those one-pot quickie meals that friends request on a regular basis. The Hubby calls it "Buckwheat Noodle Crack", and my friend Riki calls it "Gagh" (for the Klingon wormy dish).

As with anything that one makes often, it's never exactly the same, so I'll make a rough approximation of the recipe amounts.

The veggies are flexible, but you want a lot of color to balance the taupe color of the noodles. Last night I used:

Minced Ginger
Minced Fresh Garlic
2 tsp. Olive oil

(Saute in a wok, but try to find a lid big enough to help the steaming process later. A pizza pan works well.)
Also have a pot of water boiling nearby for the noodles... they are fast.

Add in this order, firmest to softest vegetables, cooking each a bit before proceeding to the next step:
Sliced Carrots
Cauliflower (small chunks)
Red Bell Pepper, diced or sliced
Brocolli (small chunks)
sliced yellow squash (small)
spinach

The amounts are really eyeballed according to color ... it's important to have sweet veggies in there, as the noodles themselves can be bitter. Do not add more oil ... add water and let the veggies steam. Try and get the firmer veggies softened before adding the next veggie.

When you get to the spinach, stir it in, cover, and turn off burner. Drop noodles into boiling water. When noodles are al dente, drain, and then in a large bowl, begin layering and dressing.

Spoon a layer of veggies into the bottom of the bowl. Cover with a layer of soba noodles. Dress with Braggs Liquid Amino Acids, and Rosemary Infused Oil (Avocado is best, but Olive will work ... the Rosemary is what is important.) Continue layering and dressing the noodles until complete. Toss to coat and blend, then taste to make sure you got enough dressing, but not too much (I know ... not very precise for a recipe ... sorry).
You are aiming for an even amount of veggies to noodles. Practice makes perfect. One little bundle of soba noodles should serve one person, unless you're feeding carpenters, athletes, or teenage boys ... In that case, double it.

This is a delicious cold salad on day 2 or 3.

NYC visit

The visit is almost over and I still don't have any justification for it, other than the fact that my life is always enhanced on many levels when I get together with this particular group of women.

We spent the evening in Park Slope, having a quiet (sort-of, other than the uproarious laughter)dinner at the home of Catherine Bohne. She owns Community Bookstore; which in all of my travels, remains one of my all time favorite places on earth. Her website does a good job of communicating the vibe of her store, but you still need to pet a cat or dog while shopping for or discussing book selections.

Food is always part of a NYC visit. The trip is mostly about time together, so we've refrained from parking for hours in the midst of some poor server's livelihood; and instead have enjoyed the very European experience of fresh cheeses, bread, wines and fruit at home. Normally I have some personal food rules that keep dairy and wheat at a minimum, but I'm also a Southern Girl, so I can use that ingrained politeness as an excuse to relax and enjoy my visit. (Besides, the Union Square Farmer's Market was today ... yum!)

Tonight is our last night in town, so dinner and a brainstorm session with The Lindas, and Wendy Dubit.

Before I left, The Hubby said, "Please promise that if you women manage to take over the world this week, you do so without pissing off too many people."