Lemony Chard Soba Noodles

These soba noodles are dressed in a zingy lemon sauce, tangled with wilted chard and beet greens and studded with sour and salty capers. A perfectly light, spring-time meal that’s ready in a flash.

Wow, it's been a long time! I confess to feeling like a piece of me is lacking without the usual frequent posts to Produce On Parade. I'll try to be better. I wish I could tell you the same ol' story of how the cookbook and our home construction have been taking up most of my time, but it wouldn't be entirely true. The house is in a sort of lull while we tackle the valley that is our driveway and with only a couple more recipes to go for the cookbook...I'm finding it very difficult to pick the last, lucky ones. 

“Quiet people have the loudest minds.”

— Stephen Hawking

To me, the calm before the storm is certainly worse than the storm itself. Being in a perpetual state of unknowing is by far my greatest menace in life, and a big source of suffocating anxiety. I've been trying to be gentle with myself and welcome a wee bit of senioritis and willful adjournment with a 10 mile backpacking trip, and bingeing on audiobooks during long runs and walks.  I'm so glad I have been! Check out Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook for some awesome Alaskan backcountry photos. 

This week, I've found it really difficult to muster on and conclude the last remaining recipes for the cookbook due mostly to a very strange reason...the weather.  It's been in the high 80's all week! Too hot to sleep, too hot to be outside, and certainly much too blistering to turn on the oven! Yesterday Todd joked with wide eyes, "I'll crush you if you turn on the oven." Now I can finally understand those oven-related gripes from those in The Lower 48. Rarely do we have such a problem up here in Alaska. I generally welcome any opportunity to fire up the oven; leaving the door ajar after cooking has ceased to help warm the house. Not this week. 

Lemony Chard Soba Noodles

Recipe by Katie @ Produce On Parade

This is a wonderful dish if you’re looking for a departure from the usual peanut butter laden soba noodle bowls! These soba noodles are dressed in a zingy lemon sauce, tangled with wilted chard and beet greens and studded with sour and salty capers. A perfectly light, spring-time meal that’s ready in a flash. - NOTES - If you don’t have beet greens, any other leafy green vegetable such as kale, collard greens, mustard greens, or simply additional chard will work beautifully. This is an exceptionally lemon-intense dish. If you’d like, start with only 2 tbsp (30 ml) of lemon juice to lessen the intensity and if you like, add more. I like incorporate the chard stems into my dishes, but discard them if you wish. Dijon or regular yellow mustard can be swapped for the stone-ground mustard.

Ingredients

• Greens -
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• 2 (10 g) garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch (200 g) fresh chard, chopped
• 1 bunch (53 g) beet greens (or other leafy greens), chopped (see note)
• Dressing -
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• juice from 1 large lemon, about ¼ cup (60 ml) (see note)
• 1 tbsp (15 g) stone-ground mustard (see note)
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• dash of red pepper flakes
• ---
• 6 oz (180 g) soba noodles, dry
• 2 tbsp (34 g) capers

Cooking Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add the garlic and saute a couple of minutes until fragrant.
2. Add in the chard and beet greens. Stir uncovered for about 3 minutes until the greens have wilted slightly, you may have to add them in batches if the pan cannot accommodate all the greens at one time. Once they have wilted slightly, cover and allow to cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes, until completely wilted.
3. While the greens cook, bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Soba noodles only need 4 minutes to cook, so wait to add them when there’s only a few minutes left on the greens.
4. Add all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
5. When the greens are wilted and the dressing is ready, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Next, drain the noodles and add them to the greens. Stir in the capers and the dressing, using tongs to incorporate all the ingredients evenly.
6. Serve warm.

Information For The Day

I really needed a good laugh and this guy delivered. You need to watch this hilarious vegan rap and brighten your day!!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bursted Cherry Tomato Spaghetti

This is an easy, hands off meal that’s done in 45 minutes top to bottom. Sweet, roasted Brussels sprouts and tart, oven-bursted cherry tomatoes tangle with spaghetti in a cheesy, buttery sauce. Make the most of those veggies that quickly move past their prime with this delicious pasta dish!

You know how some days you never feel like you're doing enough? Never knowledgeable enough? Continually falling down bruised, all throughout the race, while dropping behind the pack? I do.

 I'm a sensitive and emotive person but rarely do I ever exhibit any sort of suffering around anybody other than my husband. Let's just say that in the past two weeks I've had the first-time embarrassment of calling my dad, sobbing. Every day I spend my hour lunch break forsaking yoga and just sleeping it out. I'll dash off during the quiet moments of the day to hide and have a quick, uplifting pep talk with myself that usually, regrettably, ends up with welling tears instead of feeling better. 

Everyone goes through a period like this some time or another. If life is zooming along at the pace of a high-speed train and you feel as if you're pointlessly chasing after it barefoot with arms outstretched, doing all you can to catch up as it bullets past...you're not alone. I feel you.

If you feel the unrelenting urge to suddenly drop everything and quietly slip away to live in a tiny, remote cabin in the Scottish high country with your loved ones and furry companions, live off your vegetable garden and spend your days reading books and baking at the local cafe...I hear you. Alas, that won't happen and I wouldn't want it to.

I am exhausted with excitement for the near future, but that doesn't mean I'm not utterly silenced by the weight of it all. It doesn't mean I haven't been a zombie-like, cantankerous little asshole just trying my best to keep it together and be cheerful. I'm so grateful for the awesome opportunities I've been granted but good heavens, I think it's crushing me! I just tell myself that we've all been there and it's not shameful to feel this way. #endthestigma

All of Us campaign

If you've ever been a distant friend, mute co-worker, emotional spouse, dreary employee, or an irritable, worrisome ghost of a person wearing your hair in front of your face so people won't notice you and ask you what's wrong...I hope you know you're not alone. Lift that chin up, put on those rose-colored glasses, and wait for this massive wave of anxiety to tide out. Don't be crushed by change. 

Bloggers (and people in general) often put on a good face and act like nothing is wrong. That their life is the stuff of dreams and envy and everything is just perfect and they are always sunny and happy as can be! That isn't real life. And it's what drives stigmas. That ain't the way over here at Produce On Parade!

Should you desire support, there are a multitude of professionals that are ready and waiting. Find resources here. 

“We don’t all struggle with a mental illness, but we all have mental health.”

— The mission statement from the All of Us campaign to rethink mental health

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bursted Cherry Tomato Spaghetti

This is an easy, hands off meal that’s done in 45 minutes top to bottom. Sweet, roasted Brussels sprouts and tart, oven-bursted cherry tomatoes tangle with spaghetti in a cheesy, buttery sauce. Make the most of those veggies that quickly move past their prime with this delicious pasta dish!

Yield: 6

Ingredients

• 2 heaping cups of Brussels sprouts, quartered
• 1 heaping cup of cherry tomatoes, whole
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• dash of salt
• dash of ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp vegan butter
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 lb. spaghetti pasta, dry

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F and wash the veggies.
2. Slice off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and discard it, along with any outer leaves. Cut in half lengthwise, then again to quarter. Place the sprouts along with the tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the veggies in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
3. While the veggies cook, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low. Add the garlic and sauté about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. When there is about 10 minutes left for the veggies to cook add the pasta and boil until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
5. Stir the sauce into the pasta as well as the roasted veggies. Be sure to get in any juice that has escaped from the tomatoes while cooking.
6. Serve hot with a glass of red wine.

A big thanks to Whole Foods Market who sent me this excellent vegan, organic red wine. What a perfect pairing for this pasta dish.  It's "a delicious Spanish import that is made with 100% certified organic grapes that come from Jumilla, a region near Valencia that is said to be the birthplace of the Monastrell grape.” So if you're looking for a smooth, Spanish wine that's vegan and organic, look no further. No fish bladders here! 

Dutch Word of The Day

Overwhelmed --> overweldigd (over-velldigt"

Information for The Day

All of Us campaign

All of Us: A Campaign to Rethink Mental Health is a program founded by UCLA undergraduate students with the goal of shifting the way people and the public perceive and treat individuals with mental illness, through education and advocacy. 

From The Viet Vegan - Grilled Tofu Soba Noodle Bowl with Greens

Greetings from Ohio! Yep, I'm a stateside little elf during this holiday season and having such a blast. Due to said fun, I'm pretty busy and I thought I'd invite over a dear friend of mine to keep you little snowflakes entertained. 

Lisa, from the Viet Vegan is such a treat. She's incredibly talented, with stunning photos and deliciously Asian-inspired vegan recipes. Her writing will keep you giggling all day until your co-workers give you the dreaded stink eye. So, I'll quit hogging my bloggin' BFF. Everyone, meet Lisa!

Hello Produce on Paraders! Paraders? Readers. Let’s go with readers.

Hello Katie’s lovely readers! My name is Lisa and I’m the over-sharing, feminist nerd behind The Viet Vegan (formerly known as Je suis alimentageuse). I’ve been an admirer of Katie’s food blog for a while now, her photography is awesome, her recipes look absolutely delicious, and she makes living vegan look so easy. I even bought Bogs ever since she did her winter gear post because they’re warm, not too shabby-looking, and vegan-friendly. Oh and since they’re made with stretchy material, they fit my calves! (which is a rare and momentous occasion).

I’ve got a soba noodle bowl for you today. It’s quick and easy, and only needs a minimal amount of prep the night before. I find noodle bowls so easy and comforting. They remind me of my childhood bi-monthly trips to Toronto’s Chinatown with my parents since we lived in a small town that mainly was all about meat and potatoes. After two hours of driving through sleet and snow (because Canada) and before we’d do groceries, we’d go for a big bowl of phỏ.

It was oddly comforting to be around the hustle and bustle of people who looked like me, slurping soup with chopsticks and Asian soup spoons. My hometown was super WASP-y and there were only two other Vietnamese families, and we all went to different schools. We all knew what hoisin sauce was, sriracha, and rice noodles and those fresh spring roll wraps that nobody had ever seen before. We’d come home with a big haul of things we couldn’t buy at home: banh mi sandwiches, bean sprouts, tamarind paste, and tofu.  

Glorious, glorious tofu.

Tofu has a bad reputation. People think it’s a tasteless block of whiteness. But only if you let it be that way! Tofu is like a big sponge, so in order for it to be able to soak up all the delicious marinade, it needs to be squeezed as dry as possible so that there’s room for marinade. If I knew more about physics, I’d say it has something to do with a saturation point. But I don’t know much about physics. So press your tofu so it can soak up as much flavour as possible.

Then you can eat it as it is, pan-fry, stir-fry, add to soup, sandwiches, but I love to grill it.

With a little sugar in the marinade, tofu gets a caramelized coating with beautiful charred marks that remind my taste buds that summer is coming closer day by day, even if dreary winter season is here. Adding frozen peas and fresh spinach adds a pop of colour to the soba noodle bowl, but you can always add in your favourite veggies. Red cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber… Add whatever you want.

Just don’t forget the tofu.

Grilled Tofu Soba Noodle Bowl with Greens

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Marinated Tofu

• 1 block extra firm tofu (I used Organic Soyarie 350 g)
• ½ cup tamari
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ·1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup

For the Dressing:

• 1 ½ tsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
•  1 tbsp tamari

For the Bowl: 

•  4 servings of buckwheat soba noodles
• 1 cup frozen peas or edamame
• 3 cups fresh spinach, packed
•  sesame seeds to garnish

Directions:

To prepare the tofu the day before:

1.      Wrap the tofu in a clean and dry tea towel, paper towel, or dishcloth. Press between two flat surfaces (say two cutting boards) and place a heavy object on top, such as a couple cans of beans. Allow the tofu to be pressed for at least half an hour to get as much liquid out as possible.

2.      Prepare the marinade in a container that’s at least 2 inches deep.

3.      Cut the tofu into triangles (first in half, then cut those two halves diagonally to get the triangle shape. Slice each triangle until about 1/3 inch thick. Layer the tofu into the marinade and chill overnight for at least 8 hours.

To prepare the bowl:

4.      Combine all ingredients for dressing and whisk well. Set aside.

5.      Preheat a grill pan (or BBQ). Add adequate oil to the grill. Place marinated tofu on the grill. Flip once char marks appear. Continue cooking until both sides are well done. Remove from grill.

6.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add soba noodles. Cook for about 5 minutes, until almost cooked.

7.      Add frozen peas and cook until bright green. Quickly add the spinach, stir, and turn off the heat. Wait about 30 seconds until the spinach turns bright green and drain. Run cold water to shock and halt the cooking process so the greens stay bright.

8.       Divide soba and greens between four bowls and add the dressing on top.

9.      Sprinkle sesame seeds to garnish.

10.  Enjoy!

Lisa Le is the blogger behind The Viet Vegan. She’s a self-proclaimed feminist, vegan, and nerd who loves Star Trek and food in bowls. To see more of her recipes and reading about her life, visit her at The Viet Vegan. 

Thank you, Lisa, for visiting and for such a fantastic recipe. Long live the tofu soba noodle bowl!