Backyard Farmgals

I lived in Taiwan as a little girl, I don't remember everything about the place, but some things never have left my memory.  The smell of the place, the Buddhist monks chanting and walking up the street the night we got there, my friends, Chinese New Year, and the flavors.  Taiwan is where my taste buds became adventurous.  I tasted everything.  I had my first sip of wine, tasted my first caviar (which I loved and still do), and developed a palate that was traveled and a bit sophisticated for a child my age. One thing I can't shake is the smell of beef noodle soup at The American Club.  My parents used to gobble the stuff, bowl after bowl.  There was a very distinctive smell and flavor to it.  My mother recently came to me begging for me to find a way to make it.  She had lived without it for thirty years and she literally couldn't go one more day without it.  Funny what we will do for a flavor that is attached to memory. So I s...

Just in time for Summer.  This little recipe is a great side or an awesome and pretty healthy main course.  You could add some shredded chicken or some salmon hunks to this if you need a little extra protein.  This has plenty of veggies in it, use what you can out of the garden.  This will be perfect Summer night meal when the garden is at its height.  My little farmhands absolutely LOVE these noodles.  These are just a little bit sweet, thanks to a little agave.  You can sweeten with honey, it is just a bit more difficult to work with (hint - heat it up before you combine with the soy sauce). COLD SOBA NOODLE SALAD backyard farmgals Printer Friendly Version Here 8 oz soba noodles, cooked, drained, rinsed with cold water and drained again 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced 1/2 english cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced 1/2 bunch of green onions, green parts thinly sliced handful of ...

This is one of my very favorite soups to make.  It has become a comfort food for me, and since it is like a blizzard outside, dampening my hope of an early Spring, I feel the need for something warm and yummy.  I love the flavors in this: coconut, lime, garlic, and ginger.  It is far from authentic, but it fills me up and it smells divine!  I am in love the thin slices of mushroom and carrot.  Ever since I quit eating meat, mushrooms have kind of filled the meat slot in my life.  They have a hearty, hefty kind of texture that mimics meat and fills me up.  This is for sure a family favorite too, the kids love the noodles, and the hubby keeps asking when I will be making coconut noodle soup...he doesn't want to miss it!

The big question on everyone's mind is: "what to do with all of that leftover turkey?"  The answer came to me today as I was racing to my car in the wind.  This is no ordinary wind, this is bone chilling, hot steamy bubble bath, no I'm not coming out of the house kind-of-wind.  In a word: SOUP!!!  I love soup, it is so nourishing and filling.  I am a chicken soup kinda girl, no creamy concoctions, homemade chicken stock and oodles of veggies really get me excited. After a Whole Foods run this afternoon, I found myself holding a package of organic whole grain soba noodles, and not a clue to what I might dream up with them.  I needed a fast, easy, farmhand filling dinner, and this soup just came out.  It was really good!  I had homemade turkey stock brewing on the stove, and that made all the difference.  If you haven't made your own stock, it is so simple.  I love that I can control what goes into it, and it tastes so much better th...