Summer food recipes feature somen noodles and eggplant

Various seasonal recipe ideas focus on easy-to-prepare summer dishes, particularly utilizing somen noodles and eggplant to combat the heat.

One method for preparing eggplant involves microwave cooking with sesame oil to achieve a juicy texture similar to deep-frying, followed by marinating in a mixture of ponzu, mentsuyu, ginger, and chili oil.

Somen noodle variations include a creamy chilled tantan-style soup made with soy milk, minced pork, and pickled mustard greens (takana). Other creative arrangements suggest using pickled vegetable base (asazuke no moto) for a refreshing acidity, or combining corn soup with milk, ham, and cheese for a cafe-style meal. A tantan-style eggplant somen can also be made by mixing mapo eggplant seasoning with soy milk.