"Swamp Thing" or "Cicadas Attack!"

You know that loud mouthed guy who keeps claiming that it's the rapture? Well sometimes (just for a second) I start to wonder if that might be a little bit true ( don't judge). Right on the heels of the winter that wouldn't end (cue a Game of Thrones monologue about ten year winters) is the insane plague of locusts aka the 13 year cicadas waking up and swarming everywhere like we're at war with the Pharaoh.

 They are absolutely everywhere, INSANELY loud and just big enough (around humming bird sized) to make you freak out if they land on your shirt...or hair... or face. Which they do, often. I flip flop between being enchanted with them (novelty and whatnot), or freaked out and disgusted because they're a swarm of alien faced dive-bombing squawkers.

Since they only show up every 13 years the enchanted part of me briefly considered whipping up a cicada themed recipe to mark the occasion, but at the same time... you know, ew.  So instead I'll tell you what I did cook while inside hiding from the apocalypse.

I finally finally got a free moment this week to look in some non internet places for recipes ( I also went to see Thor but that's another story) and I found (cue the angel voices) another recipe for soba noodles! I'm a total fangirl for soba noodles, I've been in love with them pretty much since last November when I discovered that they were actually edible and not in fact the mat you roll up sushi with.They're deliciously nutty, strangely colored and cook in four minutes! Perfect for a lazypants like me.

The sauce you put on them is sort of this weird peanuty chili sauce that's just funky enough to hang out with zee mighty soba. When you taste them together it's clear that they're besties from the same clique. It's spicy, it's peanuty, it tickles your mind's 'wtf' areas in all the right ways. Make this. It totally only takes 20 minutes.

A word of warning, this is a limited time only dish. DO NOT reheat it, it basically clumps into a lagoon creature in the microwave for some reason. I blame the peanut butter. It still tastes okay (nom!) but you'll definitely look like your downing a bowl of creepy crawlers. Hey we're back where we started!

Peanut Soba Noodles With Chicken

Food Network Magazine June 2011

12 ounces Soba (buckwheat) noodles

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

1/2 cup of your favorite peanut butter

3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger

2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (such as Sriracha or sambal oelek)

Kosher salt

1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and edamame and cook as the noodle label directs. Reserve 1cup cooking water, then drain the noodles and edamame and run under cold water until cool.

2. Whisk the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and chili sauce in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water and whisk until smooth. Add the noodles, edamame, season with salt and toss to combine (add more cooking water to loosen, if  needed). Divide among shallow bowls and top with the chicken , cucumber and scallions.