Warm Soba Noodle Salad

Start the soba noodles first, by putting them in a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt. Keep it at a low boil, turning down the heat and adding cool water if necessary to keep it just below a rolling boil. These will take about 6-7 minutes to cook, and you can stir occasionally to make sure they don't stick to each other or the bottom of the pot.

Next, start a small amount of water (about half a cup) boiling in a small pot, and add the kombu. Turn this down to simmer and cover with a lid.

Third, heat a pan to medium-high, and saute the carrots with water, broth or olive or un-toasted sesame oil. Once the carrots have softened lightly, add the red pepper. Then add the cucumber and green onion last, to warm for a minute, before turning off the heat. Season the vegetables with a sprinkle of tamari in the pan.

Go back to the kombu broth, and take the kombu out of the water. Stir in as much or little tamari as you like to taste, along with a sprinkle of toasted sesame oil. Add some fresh ginger juice if you like, for an added flavor kick.

Arrange everything in a bowl, starting with a layer of chopped kale or spinach (for hot noodles) or lettuce (for cold noodles) if you like, then the noodles drizzled with some of the kombu broth, then the vegetables.

Top with the sliced avocado and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.