Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowls with Shiitakes and Bacon

Back in our California days, my husband and I ate a lot of Vietnamese food, especially these wonderful cool vermicelli bowls in hot weather.  If you get the noodles, veggies, and sauce right, you can put pretty much anything on top.  Here I've used flavorful shiitake mushrooms and bacon because I had them on hand, but you could just as soon use grilled chicken or steak (some nice marinated flank steak would be excellent), leftover roast pork, marinated tofu grilled or broiled...etc.

If you like, you can double or triple the Nuoc Cham recipe - it keeps well in the fridge for weeks at a time.

Nuoc Cham
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili paste
2 Tbsp lime juice (ideally fresh)
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

Make the Nuoc Cham first (unless you have some from a previous batch in the fridge already) so the flavors can meld while you prepare the bowls.  Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or jar and let sit.


Vermicelli Bowls
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 lb Asian rice vermicelli
1 large cucumber, shredded
A few carrots, shredded
2-3 cups shredded lettuce
1-2 cups chopped fresh mint, cilantro, and/or Thai basil

Start by preparing the shiitake-bacon topping. Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet.  Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-5 minutes, until mostly tender.  Add the bacon and stir-fry until cooked but not crispy.  Add the soy sauce and cook for another minute or so.  Pour off excess bacon fat (or remove with a baster) and set aside.

Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 6 minutes, until al dente.  Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.

To assemble the bowls, place a generous quantity of noodles in the bottom of each bowl. Top with tidy mounds off cucumber, carrot, lettuce, and herbs, then add a spoonful of the shiitake-bacon mixture.  Top with Nuoc Cham at the table.

Serves about 4.

Watermelon Salad Three Ways

Watermelon - especially good, sweet, flavorful local watermelon - is pretty great straight up.  But it also lends itself well to sweet-savory combinations, especially with sour or salty counterpoint ingredients.  You can easily freestyle with the general concept, but here are some ideas to get you going.  Quantities are basically according to your  taste and the amount of watermelon you start with; add seasonings in small amounts until you are happy with the flavor.

In all cases, start with cubed watermelon, seeded if you like.
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1. The classic: chopped fresh mint, lime juice, touch of salt

2. Diced tomato, chopped fresh cilantro, lime juice or cider vinegar, salt and pepper

3. Crumbled feta, freshly ground black pepper.  Add diced tomato or cucumber if desired.

Veggie-Heavy Tabouli

Tomatoes, cukes, and fresh herbs form the heart of this tabouli, which goes heavy on the vegetables. No cooking required. Serve as a side dish, or add warm pita and hummus to make it a meal.

1 1/2 cups dry bulgur wheat
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 large tomato, diced (about 3 cups)
1 small red onion, finely chopped (optional)
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the bulgur in cool water for 2 hours or so, until tender but still just a little chewy. Drain and place in a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bulgur and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 6-8.

Simple Fennel Salad

Raw fennel sliced thin makes a nice salad, especially when served cold. Here it's very simply prepared with a little parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil.

1 medium-large fennel bulb, thinly sliced or finely chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp good olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Pinch or salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat. If not serving immediately, refrigerate.

Serves 2-3.

Variations: Add shredded carrots or julienned cucumber to the salad.

Cucumber Basil Salad

Cool and refreshing...again, tomatoes welcome as an addition.

4 cups diced cucumbers (peeled if desired)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped sweet basil (or more if desired)
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil, preferably a nice fruity one
Salt to taste

Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4-6.

Thai Cucumber Salad

So the cucumbers have starting coming in - with a vengeance. And when you've just picked half a dozen (or more!) at once, there's nothing like cucumber salad to use them up. There are many possible variations and flavor profiles - this is just one. (Feel free to add tomatoes if desired.)

4 cups diced cucumbers (peeled if desired)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (or other sweet onion)
1/4 cup finely chopped Thai basil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
Salt to taste
Sesame seeds (optional)

Toss all ingredients except sesame seeds in a bowl until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate if not serving right away. Sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds (if using) before serving.

Serves about 4.

Variations: substitute mint or cilantro for some or all of the Thai basil.

Cold Sesame Noodles with Garden Vegetables

You can serve these noodles warm or room temperature, but they are really great served cold on a hot night. At this time of year, I like to make them with snap peas and shredded carrots, but you can use other vegetables if you like. Later in the summer, sweet red peppers are delicious here.

1 lb linguine or other pasta
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp minced ginger root
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2-3 tsp chili paste or sriracha sauce (or to taste)
1-2 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
1 pint snap peas, stemmed
1-2 cups shredded carrots
Chopped fresh mint, cilantro, and/or Thai basil for topping (optional)

Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water. When done, drain and rinse with cold water until thoroughly cooled. Toss with canola oil and refrigerate until the sauce is ready.

Combine the garlic, ginger, tahini, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste or sriracha, and honey or sugar in the blender. Blend until smooth, adding water 1-2 Tbsp at a time until it reaches the desired consistency (it should be creamy and pourable but not runny).

Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding the snap peas and carrots until everything is coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (If you make these more than a few hours in advance, the sauce may thicken more than desired; in this case, drizzle the noodles with a small amount of water and toss until the sauce regains a good consistency.)

Serve cold, topped with chopped herbs if desired.

Serves about 6.

Variations: Add chopped scallions; add or substitute diced cucumber or halved cherry tomatoes.

Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad

It's high season for tomatoes and cukes, and our garden is overflowing with both. This is a favorite way to use a lot at once. Use the most flavorful tomatoes you can get your hands on. I like to use a combination of different colors for the effect.

4 cups chopped cucumbers
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup minced red onion

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss.

The amounts here are pretty arbitrary--you could easily increase or decrease the amount of veggies, and adjust the other ingredients accordingly.

For a different presentation, you could also slice the vegetables and arrange them on a platter, then sprinkle the other ingredients over them.