Soba Noodles with Green Shallots, Spinach, Edamame and Tofu

Tofu is a four-letter word– “bad” four letters or good? In my kitchen it’s a good word; if you look in our refrigerator, you’ll almost always find tofu. Packed in water and sealed, it will last more than a month, ready for last minute meal ideas. And I always have a bag of shelled edamame in the freezer and a box of buckwheat noodles in the pantry.

So when I found a recipe for green garlic with spinach and the aforementioned kitchen staples, I printed it. The recipe is from Martha Rose Shulman’s New York Times article, May 18, 2012. I am a huge fan of Ms. Shulman and I have several of her cookbooks, including a first edition of The Vegetarian Feast, a staple from my catering days in the late 1970’s.

I think the green shallots in our Ranui Gardens CSA box this week will substitute just fine for the green garlic and here is my adaptation of the recipe.

Soba Noodles with Green Shallots, Spinach, Edamame and Tofu

1 pound extra-firm tofu

1 bunch green shallots

1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 bunch spinach, stems removed

¾ cup frozen shelled edamame

8 ounces soba or buckwheat noodles

1 sheet nori, cut into short (1/4-inch by 1/1/2-inch) strips, optional

Soy sauce

Prepare the tofu. Cut the tofu block in half. Place the halves in a large shallow dish on top of a clean tea towel (without terrycloth nubs.) Cover with another towel or paper towels. Place a second dish that would fit inside the first, on top and place something heavy inside. After 5 or 10 minutes the tea towels will have absorbed excess water.

While the tofu is pressing, trim any tough stalk away from the shallots. Chop them finely. Chop the spinach into 1-inch pieces.

Cut the pressed tofu into ½-inch cubes. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high flame. Add the first tablespoon of grapeseed oil and wait about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and stir-fry until it is golden and crispy on most sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on paper towels.

Heat a large pot of water to boil for edamame and the noodles.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the shallots and cook about a minute. Add the spinach, season with salt and stir until the spinach wilts. Place the tofu on top of the spinach, turn the heat to low and keep warm.

When the pot of water begins to boil, add the edamame and soba noodles, stirring so the noodles don’t stick together. Boil gently until the noodles are just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander. Place in a large serving bowl. Top with the spinach and tofu. Sprinkle with soy sauce and garnish with the nori strips, if desired.

Makes about 6 servings.

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Soba Noodles with Chard and French Green Lentils

This might be my very favorite recipe using chard. It’s a variation on one from my very favorite cookbook author–Deborah Madison–from The Greens Cookbook.

French green lentils are the little dark ones that hold their shape well; as opposed to the larger brown ones I grew up with, made into lentil ham soup from the leftover ham bone. To further differentiate, there is an elegant specialty appellation-controlled French green lentil called Lentilles de Puy that makes it onto menus of high end restaurants as “lentil caviar.”

8 ounces soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)

1/2 cup French green lentils

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup virgin olive oil

Fresh ground pepper

1 bunch red or green chard

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots cut into 1/4-inch squares

3/4 cup vegetable stock

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

5 ounces goat cheese, optional

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Rinse the lentils, checking them over for little rocks masquerading as lentils. Put them in another pot with water to cover plus 2 inches, along with the bay leaf and salt. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes at Park City altitude. Drain them, saving the liquid for stock. Toss the lentils with a tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and set aside.

Wash the chard well. Cut the leaves away from the stems. Cut the stems in 1/4-inch pieces and set aside, and then chop the leaves into 1-inch strips.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet on low heat. Cook the garlic about a minute. Add the carrots and the chard stems and cook over medium heat another minute. Season with salt; add the veggie stock, the chard, and the lentils. Cook until the carrots are tender.

Cook the noodles in the boiling water until they are just tender. Drain and add them to the chard. Toss with the parsley and more freshly ground pepper. If you are using the goat cheese, crumble it into the pasta and vegetables at the very last minute.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

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