We threw our End of Summer party this weekend, and boy did we luck out – after weeks of rain and ridiculously cold dreary weather, the clouds parted and we had a perfect, mild, sunny evening. Guests could sit in the sun and not be too hot, or in the shade on the patio and not be too cold. I made Indonesian yellow rice, sesame noodle salad, peanut sauce and chopped cucumber salad, and Jon grilled pork satay, Japanese eggpant and fresh corn. I’m fairly sure nobody starved to death.

You never know what’s going to be left over from these parties. We ended up with a half gallon of my favorite IPA in the world, small quantities of rice and eggplant, and a large tub of sesame noodles. There was also a bag of thawed shrimp in the fridge which I had intended to put out at the party and, well, just decided not to. I got tired. But that meant we had some good lunch fixings today – I poached the shrimp in salted water and mixed them into the noodle salad with a good squirt of Sriracha sauce, all of which was excellent washed down with a glass of IPA.

I don’t really have a recipe for the noodle salad, since I make it up as I go each time. My father did the final seasoning adjustment on this one – it was really good.

Sesame Noodle Salad (makes lots)

2 packages Rose brand Chinese egg noodles
sesame oil
soy sauce
rice vinegar
5 big radishes
4 carrots
1 bunch scallions
Sriracha hot sauce (if desired)

Cook the noodles in boiling water until somewhere between al dente and soft. They should be slithery but not mushy. Drain, and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch. Put in a large bowl with room to mix.

Dress the noodles with a drizzle of sesame oil and toss thoroughly. Then add soy sauce, rice vinegar and more sesame oil to taste, adding a bit of each in turn. The noodles will absorb the flavorings as they sit, so be prepared to keep adjusting.

Julienne the carrots and radishes – Jon did this for me on our new mandoline, which gives lovely even strips, but by hand is fine. Chop the bunch of scallions finely, then add all the vegetables to the noodles and toss. Zucchini would be good here, too.

If you like your noodles spicy, add Sriracha sauce or other chile oil or paste. These can also be passed at the table. Add poached shrimp to individual portions.