CHA SOBA - Japanese Green Tea Soba

So, here's to the rest of the April.  It's been a very busy month at the office.  Uploading the pictures whether from picasa or not have become a time consuming task that I don't have very much time to slip in.  But here are some photos of my food journal.  I have some more, but I dread to think of having to sit down after work again in front of the computer.  But hate to not share what I have been testing on.
So, enjoy.  If you have any question, let me know.

Japanese Green Tea SOBA  or Cha SOBA

I found this Organic CHA SOBA a few weeks ago at one of my favorite Japanese grocery store - MITSUWA in San Jose.  I gave it a try and made the sauce that is quite delicious.

Ingredients:
7 oz - 1 package Organic Cha Soba, HAKUBAKU brand.

Boil the SOBA.
Drain.  Set Aside.

Classic Noodle Sauce (Men Tsuyu)
2 C Boiling water - soak 1/4 C dried Shiitake Mushrooms in it and use it for Sauce
1/2 C Soy Sauce
1/2 C White Wine
2 Tbsp Sugar
Some green onions, chopped
finely grated ginger - 1/2 tsp
2 Tbsp HONDASHI  if you have any in your pantry

Procedures: 
Add a few pieces of shiitake mushroom to 2 C of boiling water.
Add 1/2 C soy sauce
1/2 C white wine
2 Tbsp sugar and cook at a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Remove shiitake mushrooms from the pan, cut into small pieces, and add back in the soup.
Finish with a bit of peeled and finely grated giner root and finely chopped green onion.

Assemble:
If you have traditional Japanese ZARU SOBA serving tray, arrange noodle on top.
Sprinkle some shredded seaweed and or KATSUO BUSHI or black sesame seeds for accent the noodle.
Serve the noodle sauce in the serving set's cup.

To eat:  Dip the noodle into the sauce and eat.    You also might enjoy sprinkle the sauce with some NANAMI KARASHI  (7 flavor Japanese chili powder).

So, this is all the time I have left for tonight.  Will post more later.

After the Rain

It's been raining off and on as expected in spring season.  I visited my backyard to find out who is out and about enjoying the afternoon break from the rain.  To my surprise, the Miss White Rose has returned.  It showed up after 3 years of absence all by itself.   The heirloom German Tomato plant seems to know something is not quite right hanging upside down.  It seems to be correcting itself by doing the body curl.  Fuji apple tree is blooming with bit more flowers this year, but I'll wait and see how many apples it will actually bear this year.   As usual, these hybrid roses are interesting to watch.  What is it going to grow this time and each time it bears flowers - single stem rose? clusters of tea rose, red? pink?  whatever happened to the yellow rose?

The Spring is finally here

Despite the fact that the Lunar Calendar is very accurate as far as the announcement of the season goes, this year, the spring came differently, at least in our area.  It's been showering... actually storming rather than the spring showers.  I say the spring has finally arrived.  Not back in March, but just yesterday.  Early morning birds were singing and sun was up high.  Plants and flowers are smiling.