Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

MISO SOBA

We enjoyed this dish so much in Japan that we
couldn’t wait to try it out with the new season’s
radishes. It could become a rite of passage to
mark the start of the growing season.
SERVES 4

1 quart water
1 pound daikon (large Japanese radish),
peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (or 1
pound small red or other colored radishes)
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into eighths
2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into
eighths
1 small winter squash (I prefer delicata or
butternut), peeled, seeded, and cut into
1-inch chunks
12 ounces low-fat extra-firm tofu, cut into
1-inch cubes
8 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 (10-ounce) jar gefi lte fish in broth
2 tablespoons mustard powder
2 tablespoons arrowroot
½ cup water
2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan.
Drop in the radish, cover, and cook for 10 min­
utes. Add the turnip, potatoes, and squash,
and cook 12 minutes more. Drain, discarding
the water, and set aside. This precooking will

ensure a clear broth and good texture for the

vegetables.

Pour boiling water over the tofu to cover

and let it soak while you do the next step.

Combine the stock, soy sauce, and brown

sugar in a heavy Dutch oven and bring to a

boil. Drop in the precooked vegetables. Turn

the heat down as low as possible and simmer,

uncovered, for 60 minutes. The liquid should

be reduced by a little more than half, about

3  cups. Then add the drained tofu and gefi lte

fish with broth. Combine the mustard, arrow­

root, and water to make a slurry. Pour into the

stew, stirring while it thickens.

Divide among 4 warm bowls. Set half a

hard-boiled egg, yolk side up, in each, and scat-

ter chopped parsley over the top.

Per serving : 358 calories, 12 g fat, 1 g saturated fat

(3% calories from saturated fat), 38 g carbohydrate,

22 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 1,312 mg sodium. Ex-

changes: ½ Starch, 1 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat, 1

Carbohydrate

SIMMERED RADISHES

The color will fade a little in the cooking but

can, to a degree, be recaptured with the glossy

cornstarch sauce. Please be careful not to use

too much cornstarch, as it will goop and be­

come slimy.

SERVES 4

16 red round radishes

1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock

(see page 288)

222 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE