gin z'herbes

it's almost 5 on a friday here and after the week we've had in casa livingawesomely, it's not strange that one's thoughts turn to cocktails. 

this one could be celebratory or sorrow-drowning, which not-coincidentally makes it perfect for a week of ups and downs in which i finally got a job (!) and our darling pug maeby had to have emergency surgery to remove the felt furniture floor-protector thing she appears to have eaten (dogs will eat the stupidest things, honestly).

luckily she's fine (staples and sad-face aside), the job will help pay for her $$$ surgery, and i don't start til monday so i can be home with her for a few days as she recuperates. i'm also extremely lucky in that the job is basically my dream position and i will be able to do a lot of good for the community while putting my legal training to good use. so, overall we're ending the week on a high note.

i'm also a bit surprised to note that the ol' herb garden is still going strong. i haven't been doing a lot of cooking over the past couple of days while the pup was in the hospital, so i've been craving green things and freshness. we already had some gin in the freezer and simple syrup (1:1 sugar:water, boil, let cool) in the fridge, so making this was a snap.

i wanted this to be extra-herby and i like a little salad in my drinks, so i just muddled mint (a couple of sprigs each of chocolate mint and orange mint), mexican tarragon, pineapple sage  basil and italian parsley in the glass with about 1 tablespoon of simple syrup. it was maybe 1/4 cup total herbs, not packed down. you can of course use whatever you have handy, but i like a mix of at least a couple of things so you get the variety of flavors - some savory, some less so.

then just add some gin (more or less a shot, depending on your week!) and fill the rest of the glass with sparkling water. you could also use tonic instead, and leave out the simple syrup. but i really like not having other flavors (like bitter quinine) getting in the way of all those herbs. you could also muddle and then strain out the leaves, but as i said, i like the swampy gardeny aspect of it and i enjoy eating the different leaves as i come across them. as ever, go with your lights.

so cheers to everyone surviving this week and let's all cross our fingers that next week and the weeks after that give us some more normal old boring wonderful times to be grateful for.

*ingredients* (roughly)
1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs - mints, thyme, parsley, cilantro, basil, sage - whatever you've got
1-howevermanyyouneed shot(s) gin
1 tablespoon (or to taste) simple syrup
sparkling water to fill the glass

soba noodle salad with sweet potatoes and quick-pickled vegetables

yes, i am afraid that is more rhubarb in the above picture. since it's only around for a relatively short time each year, i tend to use it lots when i can get it. this dish is not all about rhubarb, however, and it shows its more savory side here to good effect.

i wanted to make a cold noodle salad and i thought quickly pickling some of the vegetables would add some nice flavors. i cut up four small carrots, half a stalk of rhubarb, and one small spring onion (though you could use whatever onion you have, or even scallions or shallots). i tried to make the carrots and rhubarb pretty thin, since they don't really cook.

then you want to boil some water - maybe 1 1/2 cups or so, add a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon or two of black peppercorns, another teaspoon-ish of coriander seeds, and whatever other spices sound good. fennel or mustard seeds would also be nice, i think. also vinegar - i used like 1/3 of a cup or so of rice wine vinegar, but you could use other kinds (though something like balsamic might be weird, cider or white wine vinegar would be good). let the whole thing boil for a minute or so and then pour it over the vegetables. they can just sit there stewing for awhile - you could even make them ahead and put them in the fridge for a few days. it's good to leave them for at least an hour or so, so they get nice and pickley. you can also add more vinegar, if you want them to be more intense.

they would be good in tuna salad or a slaw. but i used them in this soba salad.

soba noodles are made out of buckwheat, which has a distinctive earthy flavor. you could also use other noodles here, but i really like the soba ones. they should have cooking directions on them, so just cook them and then rinse them in cold water and let them dry a little. you don't want them making your sauce all watery.

for the sauce/dressing, i used 1/4 cup tamari (basically like soy sauce), 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup (or maybe more like 1/3 - it's to taste) peanut butter (you could also use almond or cashew butter and it would be great), 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon molasses (you could definitely leave this out, but i had it around and i like the dark caramelly thing it adds), juice from 1/2-1 lime, and 1 tablespoon (or so) of sesame oil. i also added some of the pickling liquid - just enough to make it not too salty from the tamari.

then for the rest of the salad ingredients, i used about 2 cups of sugar snap peas that i cut in half diagonally, one jalapeño (or 1/2 or whatever - it's pretty spicy with a whole one), cut as thinly as possible, and two small sweet potatoes.

the sweet potatoes were cut into little 2 inch matchsticks (if matchsticks were thicker and we still used matches for things).

then i cooked them with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until they were browned in spots and cooked through. it took about 6 minutes, and they were still a little al dente. i didn't want them to be too mushy.

it's important to not mess with them too much while they are cooking - just let them sit for a few minutes and brown up a little before stirring them. it's also important not to crowd the pan too much - otherwise they will just kind of steam and won't brown.

then you just mix it all together - the potatoes, the noodles, the dressing, and the (drained) pickled and raw vegetables (this mixing is easiest if you just use your hands, actually), taste it, and adjust whatever flavors need adjusting. this is really just a matter of taste. i also added some fresh mint that i cut into little strips. i think fresh herbs really make this. if you don't have mint, basil (particularly thai basil) and/or cilantro are also good options.

this is a great make-ahead dish that would be welcome at any summer potluck or picnic. it will make all those boring potato salads look like worthless crap.

it could be a side for some kind of simple salmon or chicken thing, or you could get a rotisserie chicken and put some of that in here. you could also add tofu to make it more substantial. the vegetables are changeable as well - it just depends on what you like and have around. i think red bell peppers or tomatoes or green beans would all be great.

this is a refreshing and tasty way to welcome summer. it's also nice since it doesn't require you to turn on your oven.

*ingredients*

pickles

1/2 stalk rhubarb

4 small or 2 large carrots

1 small onion or 1 bunch scallions or two large shallots

1/3 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 tablespoon sugar

salad

2/3 pack soba noodles

pickled vegetables

2 cups sugar snap peas

1 jalapeño (or other spicy pepper)

2 small or 1 large sweet potato

mint/basil/cilantro

dressing

dressing

1/4 cup tamari

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 -1/3 cup peanut, almond or cashew butter

2 teaspoons sugar (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon molasses (optional)

1/2-1 lime

1 tablespoon sesame oil

pickling liquid (optional) to taste

spicy greexican tzatziki

we are so lucky to have mint thriving in the backyard - it was here when we moved in and i have done nothing to it but pick it sometimes and yet it's thick and fragrant and seemingly neverending. i do a lot of things with it - for the kentucky derby we made juleps and i often smash some leaves and put them in sparking water for a little extra flavor. this is the first time this season that i have made tzatziki with it, though.
usually tzatziki is made with greek yogurt, garlic, cucumber, some olive oil, and sometimes mint and/or lemon. we have a lot of cilantro that i didn't want to waste, though, so i added that and also half of a jalapeño (which is what makes it rather greexican). i also added capers, because they are good and because they add a briny insouciance to everything they touch.

so you can do this any number of ways, but i started with about 3/4 cup of greek yogurt. i grated one medium garlic clove into it, using this kind of cheesy small-holed grater from ikea. honestly, it is kind of a poor quality grater, and i should have used the microplane for the garlic, but my laziness and disinterest in washing dishes won out.

i used the same grater to grate the cucumber (this was like 1/3 of one of those english/hothouse ones and i didn't peel it) and half of the jalapeño. you could definitely use more if you like - i was going for a not-crazy level of spiciness.

then i used the ol' kitchen scissors to cut the cilantro and mint into the rest of the stuff, added a little salt and pepper, and stirred it up.

that is it! so easy! all i had to wash were the scissors and the grater! i win.

it is good to make this ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to get acquainted and meld together a bit. nothing too crazy - just an hour or so if possible. but it is good right away, too.
we are going to eat this on chicken sausages and garlicky mustard and turnip greens wrapped in pitas. there may be some feta involved, too. however, it would also be good on tacos or as a dip for crackers or vegetables, or on gyros, etc., if that is something you enjoy.

*ingredients*

3/4 cup greek yogurt

1/3 of an english cucumber

1 small handful of cilantro

6 or 7 (or more) mint leaves

1 medium clove of garlic

1/2 of a jalapeño

up to 1 tablespoon capers (depending on your love of them)

salt and pepper to taste