Honey Sesame Ginger Soba Noodle Salad

Asian Sensation, not just a nickname of my Korean roommate in college, but also a good word to describe this easy cold salad dish. Soba noodle is an "O'tay" buckwheat noodle that cooks very fast, make sure not to over cook it. I'm hoping you got the O'tay as Buckwheat from the Little Rascals and not think its some part of China. The noodle definitely has a different/denser taste and therefore more filling I think. The flavors of the soy and honey and ginger go great with it. 

I originally had something like this at DeJohn's in Albany (try their martinis!) one summer outside on their patio. I was low on cash like more of my college life, and this was only like 8 bucks. I read the description and it sounded good, and out came a huge bowl of brownish cold noodles with fresh vegetables mixed throughout. Moving on, I was at Whole Foods for some strange reason and saw soba noodles on the shelf when I remembered the dish at DeJohn's. I bought the rest of the stuff to make it and checked DeJohn's menu to see what it was about again and tried to do a little spin-off of my own. It is a great salad and I brought the rest to work with me since it made so much, almost a whole pot, and the coworkers liked it also.

3 bundles of soba noodles (usually come in bundles of 3)
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp soy
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
4 scallions or small red onion, sliced finely
1 small carton of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1 large cucumber, cubed

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add noodles and simmer for five minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.
2. In a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, except for the sesame seeds and scallions. Mix to combine and pour over the noodles. Mix, taste, and adjust to your taste. Sprinkle over most of the sesame seeds and scallions, reserving a little for a garnish, if you like. Mix, garnish, and serve.