Gourmet Picnic with Spicy Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Gourmet Picnic

Spicy Cold Soba Noodles with Peanut, Scallion, and Cilantro
Radish, Tofu, Shiitake, Carrot, Cucumber, Edamame, Shrimp

Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, a fabulous monthly event for “sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations.”

The 5 Star Makeover assignment for May is Gourmet Picnic Food, perfect for the Memorial Day holiday. “Take your favorite picnic food for a ride and make something special. Lots of leeway and freedom, you choose the ingredients. Just make sure it is 5 Star.”

My contribution to May’s Picnic is a makeover of the ubiquitous pasta salad. This one is portable, delightfully colorful, bursting with flavor, healthy, and since guests compile the salad themselves can be made vegan (just skip the shrimp).

The buckwheat noodles are made with buckwheat flour and organically grown yams. The noodles are smooth, tender, and firm to the bite. Cook noodles in plenty of water according to package instructions.

Rinse twice and drain well. Toss with some sesame oil and chill in refrigerator.

the ultimate cold pasta sauce

Start with:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 t. szechwan peppercorns, crushed
• 2 t. minced ginger
• 2 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 T. hot chile oil

Then add:

• 4 T. low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 T. toasted sesame oil
• 2 T. tahini

This recipe makes enough sauce for an 8 oz. portion of dried noodles.

Whisk all the ingredients together, set aside. Be sure to use szechwan peppercorns as they give the sauce a zippy, tingly nuance which alongside the hot chile oil makes this is an uber-flavorful cold pasta dressing. Remember to crush the peppercorns but don’t grind them as that will result in a gritty texture. This sauce goes great with linguini and spaghetti as well.

Toss the chilled noodles with the sauce then add chopped peanuts, sliced scallions, and cilantro leaves.

This neat big stainless steel bowl is called a “super chill insulated server.” It keeps the noodles perfectly chilled for eight hours without ice or condensation. The gel-based inner layer freezes like ice and holds its temperature without leaving water rings. It is chilled in the freezer prior to use.

spicy cold soba noodles, peanut, scallion, cilantro

accompaniments

• diced radish
• cubed tofu cutlet
• roasted shiitake with shredded carrot
• sliced cucumber
• chopped peanuts
• boiled shelled edamame
• jumbo shrimp, scallion, black sesame seed, sesame oil

Prep the accompaniments and place in separate containers. To take this meal on the road you need one large plastic container for the noodles and seven small plastic containers. Pack a cooler with some ice packs, serving plates & utensils, soy sauce, chile & sesame oil for drizzling. Once at the picnic site, just pop off the lids and let everyone help themselves to create their own spicy cold soba noodle dish. For a heart-healthy, vegan, vegetarian meal – guests can simply pass on the shrimp.

Thank you to Natasha and Lazaro for including

Taste With The Eyes
in the
5 Star Makeover Cooking Group

Please visit Lazaro Cooks! here for a round-up of fabulous gourmet ideas for your Memorial Day picnic.

Lastly, I would like to take a moment to commemorate the U.S. Men and Women who have died in Military Service defending our Freedom and Liberty and to wish everyone a very Happy Memorial Day weekend.