Sometimes noodles are just too much for a hot summer day.  Summer dishes should be light and refreshing without sacrificing any of the flavors that can be developed through cooking.  I’ve been making noodles out of zucchini lately, but today I wanted to go completely raw with my veggies.  Cucumber, carrot, and radish offer an awesome combination of crunch and crisp, perfect for getting me through the 200% humidity each night.  The ginger lime soy sauce is just the icing on the cake, so to speak.  Enjoy!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: none

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, grated longways or peeled using a spiral peeler
• 1/4 large carrot, grated same as the the cucumber
• 4 fresh mint leaves
• a small handfuls of walnuts or peanuts
• 1 tbsp white radish shavings (optional)
• 1/4 long green pepper
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 garlic glove, minced
• 1 tsp chia or sesame seeds
• 2 chives, finely chopped
• dash of brown sugar
• dash of black pepper
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Method:

Prepare vegetables and put together a salad with the cucumber and carrot noodles, green pepper, walnuts, mint, and radish.  In a small side dish, mix soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chives brown sugar, and lime juice. Dress the noodles or use as a dipping sauce and top with a sprinkling of black pepper.

Yields 1 serving