I used to think I didn’t like miso, mainly because I don’t care for miso soup at Japanese restaurants. Then Jason made this fennel stuffed pork  recipe which calls for “light miso”. I had no idea there were many kinds of miso! At first I thought I probably just like the mild white miso but now I wonder if maybe it’s the fish stock in the soup that I don’t care for. At any rate, miso is beginning to appear more often at my table and I’m learning ways to use it.

Soba with tofu and veg

6 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
sesame oil
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
several shiitake, stemmed and torn into pieces
1 cup snow peas, cleaned and sliced
3 or 4 green onions
2 inch piece of fresh  ginger, peeled and grated
1 cup cucumber, sliced into half- moons
firm tofu, pressed and cubed*
1 t crushed red pepper

2 T rice wine vinegar

1 T soy sauce

2 T miso
2 T honey

Cook the soba according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. In a large bowl, toss soba with about a teaspoon of sesame oil to coat. Chop the green onions reserving the tops. Saute the rest of the onion with the shiitake for about 60 seconds in a teaspoon of oil. Turn off the heat and stir in rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper, miso, soy sauce,  and honey. Transfer mushroom/onion mixture into the bowl with the soba, add remaining ingredients and toss well.

*Line a dish with a towel, place the tofu on it, cover with another towel and a heavy weight. Let stand about an hour to remove some of the moisture. This is a good way to prepare tofu for frying but I left mine fresh for this dish.