Hot weather Cold noodles. This dish is perfect as a side or as a whole meal itself.

You can serve the vegetables as a side to the somen or you can mix it with the somen. Both taste just as good, to me.

Ingredients: serves 2

Somen noodles (2 portions)

Shimeji mushrooms, 1 punnet each of white & brown

Asparagus (about 250g or 1/2 lb)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon Japanese noodle soy sauce

black & white sesame seeds

Method:

• Slice asparagus into 3cm or about an inch pieces. Rinse and blanch in salted water. Remove and rinse with cold water. Place in mixing bowl.
• Break apart the Shimeji mushrooms and blanch them in the water used for the asparagus. Place in mixing bowl with the asparagus.
• Mix together the rice vinegar, sugar & soy sauce.
• Pour over the vegetables and toss to mix. Sprinkle the black & white sesame seeds over.
• Cook somen according to the instructions.
• Place the cold somen into the vegetable mix. Toss and serve.
• The somen salad mix can be kept in the fridge to cool or overnight.