Is it just me, or has August been a little hectic for you too? Sure, this is supposed to be the month when most of Western civilization takes long vacations and work a little bit less, if they work at all. But I've found myself thrown into weeks of teaching classes, more recipe testing, dealing with website issues, and working on potential business partnerships. All of this is very exciting (well, except for the web issues, which are a pain in the ___), but frankly, I'm exhausted!

Which is why cold summery noodles have been a life saver this month. I make a big batch just before the days I know I'll be swamped with work, store it in the fridge, and for the next 2 to 3 days just eat it cold come meal time. My standbys lately have been cold sesame noodles, kale and sesame soba, and zucchini noodles, but this week I made a big batch of peanut and lime soba noodles.

For the sauce, I used creamy peanut butter and tamari, which is a bit richer but less salty than regular soy sauce, as a base. Then I just whisked in a bit of water to thin out the thick peanut butter, then mixed a bit of mirin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. The lime juice goes in right at the end, and makes the sauce go from good to "wow!"

My only regret was that I didn't make two batches the first time around...

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Peanut and Lime Soba Noodles

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen edamame, shelled, or substitute frozen peas
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon tamari, or substitute soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
2 medium carrots, julienned
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon white rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
8 ounces dried soba noodles
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Cook the shelled edamame for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter with the tamari and water until smooth. Add the sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger and whisk until well-blended.
Bring a medium pot of water to boil and cook the soba until al dente, or the minimum amount of time according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Toss the cooled noodles with the peanut butter sauce. Add the julienned carrots and edamame, drizzle over with the lime juice, and toss again.
Transfer to serving dishes and sprinkle the chopped peanuts and scallions on top. Serve the noodles with lime wedges for extra lime flavor.