Food Finds: Pure Dark - Chocolates

YUMMY Chocolate! An entry for my food finds - I have discovered the pleasures of this new line of chocolates called Pure Dark - from of all companies, Mars, Inc. What a shocker! The chocolate is pretty good - not as absolutely fantastic as my local favorite - Naked Chocolate in Philadelphia, but delightfully good nevertheless. Actually, I should be more open-minded. I think because the chocolates are made by Mars - I'm biased to think that they aren't SUPER FANTASTIC and the GREATEST chocolate I've ever had. The truth is, the chocolates are a good high quality dark cocoa; it's luscious and the packaging is great. I like Mars' chocolates. I love M&M's and have been especially into the new, "Limited Edition" flavors like the Transformer's Strawberry Peanut Butter and the summer offering of Coconut. My druthers would be that the coconut would have real meaty pieces of coconut in them and the chocolate would be darker. I'd like the strawberry flavoring in the Transformers M&M's to be more assertive, but hey, the candies are good so who am I to complain?

Anyway, these Pure Dark chocolates were a gift from our friends Rob and Lynnette. Rob works in R&D at Mars. We visited with them a week ago and he had this bag of chocolates for us - food for the foodies. I had heard that Mars was producing an upscale line of chocolates and that there was a retail boutique in Manhattan, but I had yet to learn about the candies. Rob to the rescue! Inside the goody bag was a delicious assortment of bark, slabs, coins and nibs. A taste and texture sensation for every mood. Tropical Mango Macadamia Nut Bark; a moody Almond, caramelized Nibs and Dark Cherry Bark; a serious 1/2 inch thick slab of dark chocolate with caramelized nibs; dark chocolate coins with cardamon and cinnamon. And my favorite odd treat - caramelized cocoa nibs. A taste cross between an almost burnt almond blended with a jolt of espresso and dusted with pure dark cocoa. Crack chocolate to get you hooked on an serotonin hit of cacao bliss. I just discovered this morning that the nibs are amazingly good mixed into my morning non-fat Fage Greek Yogurt - making another food find even more amazing.

Here in Philadelphia, we've been spoiled by the likes of 3 Naked Chocolate Cafes; our home-grown 130 year old Shane's Chocolate confections; we were home to the original Goldenberg's Peanut Chews - oh how I miss that dark chocolate and molasses snap of the original candy. We can now boast of Max Brenner's, Chocolates by the Bald Man - an establishment that you have to see, taste and experience to believe - sort of like an upscale Willy Wonka Chocolate Cafe Coffee House with a side of chocolate theater for good measure. I'm not sure that I'll order Pure Dark off the Internet but I sure will go to the store if and when I'm in New York City again. I may however, be very tempted to keep the Pure Dark Chocolate cocoa nibs in my rotation of treats - they are the perfect pop 'em in your mouth pick-me-up that I need and they are the perfect biking fuel, better than a Cliff Bar giving a bigger energy rush than what that odd glucose GU gunk gives you. In the meantime, I am thoroughly enjoying my stash of chocolate goodies and very much appreciate Rob's thoughtful gift to us. I may become a fan of M&M Mars just yet - and give up my Hershey Kisses ways.

Stuff I found - on Craig's List

Trolling around Craig's list, I found this "BEST of CRAIG'S LIST" posting. In the spirit of interesting finds, food, bikes, websites and the like, I present it to you. Warning - it's laden with sarcasm, cuss words and a foul-tempered style. I could have written it from my own Grinchy heart. Enjoy the un-PCness of it all.

A few things from the bike shop.

---

Date: 2009-05-27, 4:05PM PDT

Whoo-hoo Seattle, the sun is out! Let's discuss a few things before you fumble with swapping the unused ski rack for the unused bike rack on the Subaru.

So yes, you've noticed the sun is out, and hey!- maybe it would be cool to to some bike riding. Let's keep in mind that the sun came out of all 600,000 of us, so for the most part, you're not the only one who noticed. Please remember that when you walk into my shop on a bright, sunny Saturday morning. It will save you from looking like a complete twat that huffs "Why are there so many people here?"

Are we all on the same page now about it being sunny outside? Have we all figured out that we're not the only clever people that feel sunny days are good for bike riding? Great. I want to kiss all of you on your forehead for sharing this moment with me. Put your vitamin D starved fingers in mine, and we'll move on together to some pointers that will make life easier.

SOME POINTERS FOR THE PHONE:

- I don't know what size of bike you need. The only thing that I can tell over the phone is that you sound fat. I don't care how tall you are. I don't care how long your inseam is. Don't complain to me that you don't want to come ALL THE WAY down to the bike shop to get fitted for a bike. I have two hundred bikes in my inventory. I will find one that fits you. Whether you come from the north or the south, my shop is downhill. Pretend you're going to smell a fart, ball up, and roll your fat ass down here.

- Don't get high and call me. Write it down, call me later. When I have four phone lines ringing, and a herdlet
of people waiting for help, I can't deal with you sitting there "uuuuhhh"-ing and "uuummm"-ing while your brain tries to put together some cheeto-xbox-fixie conundrum. We didn't get disconnected, I left you on hold to figure your shit out.

-I really do need to see your bike to know what is wrong with it. You've already figured out that when you car makes a noise, the mechanic needs to see it. When your TV goes blank, a technician needs to see it. I can tell you, if there is one thing I've learned from you fucking squirrels, it's that "doesn't shift right" means your bike could need a slight cable adjustment, or you might just need to stop backing into it with the Subaru. Bring it in, I'll let you know for sure.

- No, I don't know how much a good bike costs. For some, spending $500 dollars is a kingly sum. For others, $500 won't buy you one good wheel. You really need to have an idea of what you want, because every one of you raccoons "doesn't want to spend too much".

FOR YOU INVENTIVE TYPES AND DO-IT-YOURSELFERS:

- Just because you think is should exist, doesn't mean that it does. I know that to you, a 14 inch quill stem makes perfect sense, but what makes more sense is buying a bike that fits you, not trying to make your mountain bike that was too small for you to begin with into a comfort bike.

- If some twat on some message board somewhere says that you can use the lockring from your bottom bracket as a lockring for a fixie conversion doesn't mean that A: you can, or B: you should. Please listen to me on this stuff, I really do have your best interests at heart.

- I love that you have the enthusiasm to build yourself a recumbent in the off season. That does not mean however, that I share your enthusiasm; ergo I won't do the "final tweaks" for you. You figure out why that Sram shifter and that Shimano rear derailleur don't work together. While we're at it, you recumbent people scare me a little. Don't bring that lumbering fucking thing anywhere near me.

A DEDICATION TO ALL THE HIPSTER DUCHEBAGS:

-If you shitheads had any money, you wouldn't NEED a vintage Poo-zhow to get laid. Go have an ironic mustache growing contest in front of American Apparel, so that I can continue selling $300 bikes to fatties, which is what keeps the lights on.

- Being made in the 80's may make something cool, but that doesn't automatically make something good. The reason that no one has ridden that "vintage" Murray is because it's shit. It was shit in the 80's, a trend it carried proudly through the 90's, and rallied with into the '00's. What I mean to say is, no, I can't make it work better. It's still shit, even with more air in the tires.

SO YOU'RE GONNA BUY A BIKE:

Good for you! Biking is awesome. It's easy, it's fun, it's good for you. I want you to bike, I really do. To that end, I am here to help you.

-Your co-worker that's "really into biking" knows fuck all. Stop asking for his advice. He could care less about you having the right bike. He wants to validate his bike purchase(s) through you. He also wants to sleep with you, and wear matching bike shorts with you.

- You're not a triathlete. You're not. If you were, you wouldn't be here, and we both know it.

- You're not a racer. If you were, I'd know you already, and you wouldn't be here, and we both know it.

- So you want a bike that you can ride to work, goes really fast, is good for that triathlon you're doing this summer (snicker), is good on trails and mud, and costs less than $300. Yeah. Listen, I want a car that can go 200 miles an hour, tow a boat, has room for five adults, is easy to parallel park but can carry plywood, gets 60mpg, and only costs $3,000. I also want a unicorn to blow me. What are we even talking about here? Oh yeah. Listen, bikes can be fast, light, cheap and comfortable. Pick two, and we're all good.

ABOUT YOUR KIDS:

Your kids are amazing. Sure are. No one else has kids as smart, able, funny or as good looking as you. Nope. Never see THAT around here.

- I have no idea how long you kid will be able to use this bike. As it seems to me, your precious is a little retarded, and can't even use the damn thing now. More likely, your budding genius is going to leave the bike in the driveway where you will Subaru the bike to death LONG before the nose picker outgrows the bike.

- Stop being so jumpy. I am not a molester. You people REALLY watch too much TV. When I hold the back of the bike while your kid is on it, it's not because I get a thrill from *almost* having my hand on kid butt, it's because kids are unpredictable, and generally take off whenever possible, usually not in the direction you think they might go. Listen, if I were going to do anything bad to your kids, I'd feed them to sharks, because sharks are FUCKING AWESOME.


I hope this helps, and have fun this summer riding your kick-ass bike!

• Location: Seattle
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1192150038

Triathlon training tips: 1 month to go!

Today marks just a day under a month away from the Danskin SheRox Triathlon. I've been "training" for this year's tri on a fairly consistent basis, swimming once or twice a week, running on the treadmill two or three times a week, and of course, biking two to three days a week. Yes, I do have time off that's not devoted to exercise, and some days I do two things such as swimming and running or biking and running, or yoga and running. I've temporarily stopped weight lifting, as I'm getting all the cross training I need at the moment. The muscle building isn't as big as I'd like, but my body is toned and things are redistributed enough that I'm pleased with how I look these days. While I haven't had much inspiration to blog about, no great recipes, no momentous bike excursions, I also realized that I've not written much about the upcoming triathlon. 2nd time around, it feels like old hat in some ways, but that's not to say I'm taking any of my preparations lightly. In fact, I am starting to become nervous about it and thought I'd share some tips to folks who read this and may also be doing the Danskin SheRoxTri this year too.

One of the best tips I can offer is to go and watch a triathlon if you can. While the experience of doing one is so uniquely different than watching, you can get a great sense of what a sprint triathlon is like. The set up areas, the course, the amazing feeling of camaraderie and energy in the air. It's also important to know how the gear area is set up and what are good ways to set up your equipment and bike. Last year I went to watch two tri's before my first one, and checking out the course and set up areas was a big help. Of course, you see bikes that are totally tricked out and full of great aerodynamic gizmos and handlebars - not necessary for us beginners/novices. Bike shoes do not have to be pre-clipped onto one's pedals for faster changing transitions. Aero bars, water bottles pre-set with feeding tubes and taped-on food are all not important unless you are an elite racer. Keep your gear simple!

Another great tip - if you have not ridden your bike, in say, about a year - get your bike out of storage! Get it to a bike shop and get a tune-up. The tires need air, the dust needs to be wiped off, and most likely you need to lube the chain. You might also want to consider learning how to use your gears a bit. I keep my front gear - one of the three front cogs, in the middle gear. For my bike, that's the middle ring, or position 2. My back cogs/gears, I keep in between position or gears 3, 4 or 5; rarely in a harder or easier position to pedal unless I need the easy granny gears for up hill, or in harder to pedal position for down hill. 21 speeds or more? You only need to be in 3 places for most of the bike course.

Final tip - go at your own pace. Simple and stupid and oh so obvious. I had a real light bulb moment a few weeks ago when I was swimming. Mentally rehearsing my swim course, I realized that I need to do some warm-up laps and that I cannot swim too fast too soon or else I panic, lose my groove and forget to breathe. If I swim or run slow, it's okay. I am not in this tri to compete with anyone else other than myself. My goal this year is a) to complete the tri, and b) to do better than I did last year. I'd like to swim more efficiently, bike faster and feel secure, and run a steady pace for the whole 5K. I can't be faster than I'm capable or else I'll not find my rhythm. Swimming is a so different than the other two race pieces - you have to breathe differently and getting into the motion and not wasting energy is important. I took swimming lessons this year and I've improved drastically. I'll never win a speed race but I sure will be able to do more than doggie paddle this year. Slow and steady wins your race.

If any other tri-gals are reading this and you have any questions, shoot me a comment or send an email my way - dgorniak@comcast.net I'd be happy to share whatever little pearls of wisdom I have about my sprint tri experiences.

Biking & Fundraising

The past weekend, June 19 to 21, was filled with fund raising and biking extravaganzas. I'm riding in the Lance Armstrong - LiveSTRONG Challenge cancer ride, on August 23rd. It's a good organization that raises funds and awareness for a variety of cancer fighting causes - not just Tour Du France 7 Time Winners who have battled testicular cancer, multiple girlfriends and wives and various doping alegations... My friends, Cheryl & Mingo, have party/group they call, Fish on Friday, where they host a cocktail hour party at local bar venues to raise money for various charities. It's a reason to hang out at a bar, have a great time, and donate money for a worthwhile cause. Long story short, they agreed to host a fund raising party for my LiveSTRONG ride at a bar in South Philly called, Pat Bombino's. We basically had the bar to ourselves and invited guests. Cheryl and Mingo are the most fun-time people I know; full of energy, fun and spirit. We had a decent turn-out and raised over $250 among our 20 or 25 friends that came out on Friday night, primarily by selling chances to win tickets for donated prizes. From the files of it doesn't hurt to ask, I was able to get 2 pounds of coffee from La Colombe; Hair Care products from Plume Salon; a 2-month membership to Fitness Works Gym at 7th & Reed; LiveSTRONG Yellow Braclets, Bike Jersey's & power bars from Sue S.'s brother and Team Margaritaville or Bust; City Food Tour Tickets; and as a grand prize - a Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker from my boss at Williams-Sonoma. While the combined prizes were worth more than we raised, the party was great fun and we raised good will and awareness.

Sunday - June 21st was the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia's Annual Freedom Valley Ride. The weather - well as anyone in the Northeast Region knows, was over-cast, rainy and fairly miserable. The start of the ride, for about the first 25 miles was in a constant and annoying misty rain. Not ideal riding conditions for narrow roads that have big climbs and steep descents. Wet roads and spray on your tires is a lethal combination for biking. We, Sue S. and her friend Susan B. (surprise - another biking gal named Sue!) made the best of the day - with the ride improving once we got to Valley Forge Park. The ride home was infinitely better - along the Valley Forge and Conshohocken trails - nice and flat, allowing me to keep up a pace of between 16 miles to 18 miles an hour.

Pedi-Cab Bikes at the start of the 2009 Freedom Valley Ride

View of the Continental and General Washington Archway in Valley Forge Park

Scenic Over-look of the Valley in Valley Forge Park.
Such verdant and bright greens - and not just from my bicycle gear!

Two Sue's and a D9! Susan B, Sue S. & me, fit biker chicks on the road.

Food Finds: Garlic Scapes

We purchased a farm share this summer in a local CSA. Our crops started coming in the first week of June, as we missed the earlier start in May. Not much of a difference in the months - what with all of the rain, cool weather and decidedly Seattle Spring-like atmosphere. The farm shares thus far have been lettuces, cool crop greens and a few root vegetables such as turnips and some beets. One of the more interesting vegetables received in the past three weeks were garlic scapes. The scapes are the shoot that comes up out of the ground as the garlic bulb grows, matures and turns into the multi-cloved bulb we know and love. Eventually the green shoot will turn white and hard, almost woody. However before this process happens, you can enjoy the scapes as you would scallions or chives albiet with a far greater impact and taste kick. As I am fond of saying when I'm teaching a cooking class or on a culinary food tour - nature's giving us a 2-for-1 gift. Eventually we can enjoy the punch of aromatic garlic but first we can partake in the pugnacious scape.

Scapes can be used in a variety of ways much like garlic or onions; sauted, frizzle fried, chopped and use raw (ouch! & whew!) or as I discovered, turned into either a pesto or garlic scape oil for later use. I've sauted the scapes in the past instead of using garlic and have had success. This time however, I wanted the scapes to last a bit longer so I pureed them in some good extra virgin olive oil along with 2 or 3 extra garlic clovers for good measure. You don't need to use the best olive oil, extra virgin or olive oil at all - but it's what I had on hand (having purchased a good deal on a case of imported Italian Olive Oil direct from the manufacturer.) Light olive oil, canola oil or grape seed oil would all work well, allowing the garlic scapes' flavor to dominate. The recipe, as it were, is more of a how-to, not really an ingredient and direction list. There are three ingredients, one piece of equipment and one step to process. To turn the scape oil into a pesto, add some grated parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and either pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds.

Garlic Scape Oil Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch Garlic Scapes - washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 Cup (or up to 2 cups) of Olive oil (or neutral oil of choice; canola, light olive or grape seed oil)
• 3 Garlic Cloves

Equipment:

• Blender or Food Processor

Directions:

1. Wash scapes and cut into 1 inch pieces, discarding the tip and bulb that has formed. Dry and add to the blender jar or food processor bowl.
2. Pulse a few times. With the blender or processor on, drizzle in the oil until a uniform light green puree is achieved - about 2 minutes. If you want a thicker scape oil, use up to 1 cup of oil. For a thinner oil, use up to 2 cups of oil.
3. Pour the oil with the solids into a clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid - such as a clean Mason/Bell jelly jar. Allow the oil and solids to settle and the flavors to marry. You can strain off the solids through a fine mesh strainer, using the garlic oil as you would any flavored oil - for cooking or salad dressings. The solids can be used like minced garlic in a saute.
4. The oil and solids, either together or separated can also be frozen in small batches and tossed into soups, gravies or tomato sauce too. Frozen, it will hold for up to 3-4 months.
5. Refrigerate the oil and use within 2 weeks.

Top Chef & A Recipe for Pasta Salad w/ Green Olive Tapenade

Tom Colicchio, famous judge and chef from Bravo TV's Top Chef, and the famous foodie of Craftwich, CraftBar and 'wichcraft came to WILLIAMS-SONOMA today for a book signing. I took the day off from the synagogue office job to work at the store and participate in the day's events. The event was not nearly as mobbed at the Martha Stewart event we hosted in October 2008, but our over-all day was a wild success. You could feel the buzz of electricity and anticipation in the air when you came into our store. The staff was hyped up and the customers (whew! customers, finally!) enjoyed our demonstrations, tastings and Chef Colicchio very much. I've been a fan of Mr. Colicchio's for years now - reading about him in the New York Times, following his restaurants and food creation progress avidly. I have to confess though, I don't watch Top Chef - as with several other food reality programs, I can't stand these shows. The reality isn't reality and what does ring true is so over-blown that it gives me agita. Occasionally these shows hit a nerve, reminding me of all the awful times in the professional kitchen business. The bottom line about why I dislike Reality Television Food Programs - they all glamorize life in the kitchen and frankly, it's not pretty in real life. It's a back-breaking and stressful profession in which to carve out a career. That's why I prefer to teach, do cooking demonstrations, take people on food tours with City Food Tours and write my recipes here.

For today's event, I was asked to make something for our customers to eat. We were already featuring Tom Colicchio's panini from his new cookbook, using his 'wichcraft condiment, Caramelized Balsamic Onions on focaccia bread with Robiola Cheese. There were also crostini with his 'wichcraft tomato relish, and the Calphalon Rep was cooking chicken on the new grill pan with the Williams-Sonoma Chili Lime Rub. We had a Mango Margarita Cake and Mango Margarita Sodas. All that was left for me to make was something simple that incorporated the third 'wichcraft condiment - Green Olive Tapenade. Thinking outside of the jar, I decided to use the tapenade in a pasta salad; keeping it as simple as possible with few ingredients. I wanted the tapenade to be the main flavor of the pasta salad - but still have some fresh vegetables for taste, texture and colour. I was asked by our store managers to use some of the imported pastas we carry, to showcase our other products. The results were spectacular! I used two types of fancy shaped pastas, the green olive tapenade and I added shredded zucchini, cherry tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Minimal cooking, minimal prep and lots of bright fresh flavor. After Chef Colicchio finished signing books, he graciously posed for photos and chatted with the staff of our store. I missed getting into the group photo, so I asked if I could get a photo with him. We had a few minutes to chat and I told him how much I liked using his new food products and that the tapenade works well in a variety of ways. Unlike when I stammered and fawned all over the place at the Martha Stewart event, this time, having the chance to talk with a celebrity chef felt relaxed and natural. Mr. Colicchio - you truly are a Top Chef. Bravo!

Pasta Salad with 'wichcraft Green Olive Tapenade Ingredients:

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 1 Pound Shaped Pasta, such as Raditore - cooked according to package directions
• 2 Medium/Large Zucchini - coarsely shredded
• 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes - cut in half lengthwise
• 1 Bunch Parsley - rough chop (about 1 cup loosely packed)
• Zest and Juice from 2 Lemons
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 1 Jar 'wichcraft Green Olive Tapenade
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper - to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling, rapid boil. Add in two tablespoons of kosher salt and then add in the dried pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente - or according to package directions. Drain, rinse and cool the pasta and set aside. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking.
2. Shred the zucchini either using the coarsest side of a box grater, or in a food processor fitted with the shredding/julienne blade. Add the shredded zucchini to the pasta.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half lenghtwise and add them to the pasta.
4. Roughly chop the parsley and add it to the pasta/vegetable mixture.
5. Add the entire jar of 'wichcraft Green Olive Tapenade to the pasta salad.
6. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper. As you are whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a slow steady stream. Taste and adjust seasonings. This dressing should be tart but not to acidic. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and gently toss to combine and incorporate all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as needed, and/or additional lemon juice. Chill the pasta salad before serving. Makes 8-10 servings.

Udon Noodles Primavera with Tomato Vinaigrette

Here's a fusion cuisine that you won't often see on a menu - Nipponese meets Italian Cuisine. I wanted to make a udon noodle salad to take to work and found myself inspired to make an Italian primavera salad instead. Really, the idea was born out of wanting not to waste the bit of basil oil/pesto I made in my blender that I was too lazy to scrap out to get every last drop. This is what comes from cooking in batches, I was prepping veggies, making basil oil and cooking the udon noodles pretty much at the same time when all the different meals melded together into one dish. Waste not want not. With the basil oil sludge remaining in the blender, I thought to make a vinaigrette. I didn't want to use more oil in the vinaigrette but I needed to make enough to dress the salad. Upon opening the cabinets to see what I had on had, I discovered a can of no-salt diced tomatoes. I used the juice and half of the dice tomatoes, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, the basil oil that was left in the blender - about 2 tablespoons, salt, pepper, and dried Italian Herbs and a pinch of sugar to make the dressing. Voila! What was going to be Asian turned out to be Italian. Marco Polo - thanks for bringing the noodles to the Mediterranean, without you, I'm nothing! While you can use any pasta noodle for this dish, surprisingly, the udon noodles worked great. They are more tender than regular spaghetti, giving the pasta salad an almost homemade pasta taste. Feel free to substitute fettuccine, linguine or some other long pasta noodle of choice. Basil Oil does not have to be used - but since that's what I was making, I used it. Whiz in a few fresh basil leaves and some good olive oil into the vinaigrette. Eventually, I'll post photos and a how-to for making basil oil this summer. It's so easy!

Udon Primavera Pasta with Tomato Vinaigrette Ingredients:
For Salad -

• 1 Package Uncooked Udon Noodles - cooked according to package directions, drained, rinsed & cooled
• 1 Bunch of Asparagus - woody stems cut off, and pieces cut into 1/4 inch lengths
  
• 2 Medium Carrots - Coarsely Grated
• 2 Celery Stalks - small dice
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 Medium Zucchini - small dice
• 1 Medium White or Yellow Onion - small dice
• 4 Garlic Cloves - minced
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper - to taste

For Vinaigrette:

• 1 - 14-16 ounce can no-salt Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Italian Seasonings (or a combination of Thyme, Parsley, Oregano or Marjoram, Basil & Pinch of Rosemary)
• 1 Bunch Fresh Basil Leaves
• 2 Tablespoons to 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sugar
  

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. When water reaches the boil, add in a tablespoon of kosher salt. Cook udon noodles according to package directions - about 10 minutes. About 1 minute before the noodles are done, add in the asparagus pieces to blanch Drain, rinse and cool the noodles/asparagus. Toss noodles with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking and set aside.
2. Grate the carrots and dice the celery and add them to the udon noodle/asparagus mixture.
3. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Saute the onions and garlic until the onions turn translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the diced zucchini and saute another 3-4 minutes, or just until the zucchini is knife tender. Season lightly with a pinch of kosher salt and a dash of freshly ground black pepper. Set the sauted vegetables aside to cool.
4. While the sauted veggies are cooling, make the vinaigrette.
5. In a blender or food processor, combine the juice from the diced tomatoes, half of the diced tomatoes (reserving the rest for the pasta salad), Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasonings and basil leaves. Puree on high speed until all ingredients are incorporated - about 45 seconds. While the blender or food processor is on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify. Season to taste with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and pinch of salt. Adjust seasonings accordingly. If the vinaigrette is too acidic, whiz in more a bit more olive oil, another pinch of sugar and a few more of the diced tomatoes.
6. Add the reserved diced tomatoes, along with the cooled sauted vegetable mixture to the udon noodles. Toss gently to combine. Pour the tomato vinaigrette over the noodle/vegetable mixture and again, toss gently to combine. Makes 8 servings. Can be eaten at room temperature or well-chilled.