Refreshing Summer Memory

Earlier this week, it was hot and muggy here, and a colleague offered some cucumbers fresh from the garden as there were more than she could handle.  At that moment, my thoughts instantly turned to a refreshing, cool and light dish I had once at a Korean supermarket north of Toronto, naengmyun.  I took some of the cukes in the hopes of making this dish, along with attempting to make some sweet and spicy pickles, over the weekend.

Of course, I didn't realize until I took the cucumbers home that the weather would turn considerably cooler over the weekend, but I still wanted to go ahead and make naengmyun according to this recipe my sister found for me since it seemed fairly simple to make, and with my sleep schedule thrown out of whack thanks to some glow-in-the-dark Ultimate under meteor-streaked skies late Friday night, I knew I would not be in the mood to cook something big.

I personally used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, and I did not include daikon and Asian pear in my creation; I'm not a fan of Asian pears, and both items are not as readily available in good condition here.  Also, for lack of sesame seeds, I added a couple of drops of sesame oil.  The broth tasted wonderful and refreshing with the zing of the ginger and the tang of the vinegar.  Soba noodles can vary in thicknesses and consistencies between brands; the ones I used here were slightly thinner than usual and stretchier (and therefore, in my opinion, more fun to eat).

As for the pickles, unfortunately I can't say my first attempt was a success.  I'll have to reassess how I did it today and amend it accordingly the next time I try this again.