Sunomono Or Japanese Noodle and Cucumber Salad

5 To 6 oz. of dry vermicelli

Noodles 6 T Rice vinegar

4 t Sugar

2 t Soy sauce

1 t Salt

1 To 2 tbsp of sesame seeds

1 Medium-sized cucumber

- extra sesame seeds for the Top - scallion greens, thinly Sliced-optional (I used the Scallions greens) 1) Cook the noodles in boiling water until just tender. Drain and rinse in

cold water. Drain thoroughly, and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. (My advice, store in water if not using right away!) 2) Add vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and sesame seeds. Mix well. Cover and chill until cold. (Don`t chill for too long or the noodles will stick together. I did this but was able to save it by adding more rice vinegar until the noodles separated again. It tasted great.) 3) Peel adn seed the cucumber. Cut into quarters lengthwise, then into thin pieces. If not serving right away, wrap the cucumber pieces in a plastic bag or plastic wrap and refrigerate. 4) To serve, divide the noodles amon 4 or 5 serving bowls. Top with a small handful of cucumber slices, a light sprinkling of sesame seeds, and , if desired, a few very thin slices of scallion greens. Serve cold. This salad is subtle adn very refreshing. There is a variety of textures-chewy cold noodles (bean thread noodles, some call them cellophane noodles `cause when you boil them they become clear), crunchy sesame seeds, and smooth cucumber slices. Sweet, salt, and vinegar combine harmoniously, each understated but very much present. Everything except the cucumbers and toppings can be combined several days ahead of time. (I beg to differ on this claim because, if you don`t keep the boiled noodles in cold water while setting them aside, they will stick together.) The cucumbers can be prepared ahead also, and kept separate until serving. Note: The dressing contains no oil. ( However the sesame seeds do) Prep time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time, Yield: 4 to 5 servings Bon Appetit! Tina Dupart ([email protected]) Formatted by Sue Smith, S.Smith34, [email protected] using MMCONV Fatfree Digest [Volume 9 Issue 6] June 27, 1994