Summer is here, finally!! It’s getting so hot that when I sneak to the beach after my photoshoot, it’s still pretty warm despite it being 5pm. Even the sea water is warm enough for me, which is not something I say lightly, given my permanently cold extremities.
Cats are slumped all over the shady bits of our front porch. Cicadas are rehearsing like crazy and there is no stopping them until October. Chirpy little birds that set up shop just on the outside of our bedroom window seem to have pressing matters to discuss at 4am daily. Tempers (and pitches) appear to run quite high, which, on top of sweltering heat, makes sleep challenging. When I get up to close the window, they eye me up suspiciously ‘what are you doing in my house, giant?’ Sunset yoga on the terrace is out of the question as ferocious mosquitoes insist on feeding on your flesh while you’re in a balancing pose. Our veg shop is colourful with summer produce: zucchinis, aubergines, tomatoes, heaps of stone fruit, especially my favourite cherries, juicy melons and watermelons. The greatest Greek invention – espresso freddo is our drink of choice and we start fantasising of impromptu, late night gelato trips in an effort to cool down. On the downside, there is a lot more cars on the roads and the driving is worse than ever (who on earth needs indicators, eh? ). That’s our Paros summer in a nutshell. So as I feel that I need to bring my body temperature down badly, I am all about salads and meals that are best eaten cold. This Vietnamese-inspired tempeh noodle salad loaded with crunchy vegetables and fragrant herbs fits the bill perfectly. If you cannot find tempeh, feel free to swap it for firm tofu or oyster mushrooms – both will work equally well. To give this dish another texture dimension, I fried some shallots coated in cornflour, but if you want to minimise your time in the kitchen, feel free to skip this extra step as crushed nuts already give this dish a pleasant crunch. The crucial bit is to pack this beauty with loads of colourful veggies, fresh herbs, sprinkle with crunched peanuts and douse it liberally in sweet’n’sour nuoc cham dipping sauce 🙂 .
175 g / 6 oz bun rice noodles (or rice vermicelli) 1 carrot 1 small cucumber 8 radishes 4 Romaine lettuce leaves, shredded roughly a large handful of mint leaves a large handful of coriander leaves 1 spring onion, finely sliced ¼ cup roasted (unsalted) peanuts, crushed 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots (optional)
NUOC CHAM SAUCE
1½ tbsp vegan fish sauce or tamari (or soy sauce) 2 tbsp maple syrup or sugar 3 tbsp lime juice (approx. juice of 1 lime) ½ garlic clove, grated finely 2 (adjust to taste) hot red chillies, deseeded and diced finely
FRIED SHALLOTS (optional extra)
3 shallots cornflour / cornstarch vegetable oil, for frying
