Japanese Summer Dinner

A light, warm-weather spread in the spirit of washoku - balanced across cooking methods (boiled, grilled, raw), with a sour seaweed side to cut the heat. Most of it can be made ahead and served cold, so the kitchen stays calm and the meal comes together as assembly more than cooking.

All quantities serve 2. Scale proportionally as needed.

A natural order: start the edamame while the water is already hot, char the eggplant and chill it, make the tsuyu so it has time to come down to fridge temperature, then assemble the tofu and seaweed at the last minute and cook the udon to serve.

A Note on Dashi and Katsuobushi

The recipes below use dashi made from dashi powder - follow the packet, usually about 1 teaspoon per 250 milliliters hot water. Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) appears as an optional topping; it’s dried fish you actually eat, so skip it if you’re keeping the meal vegetarian. Suggested swaps are noted with each dish.

Edamame

Serves 2

The easiest thing on the table - start here while your water is already hot.

• 200 grams edamame in pods (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus a pinch for finishing

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Add the edamame. Boil fresh pods for 4-5 minutes, frozen for 3-4 minutes, until tender but still bright green.
3. Drain, tip into a bowl, and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt while still hot.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yakinasu (Grilled Chilled Eggplant)

Serves 2

Smoky, silky eggplant served cold with ginger and soy. Can be made an hour or two ahead. The whole point is to char the skin completely so the flesh inside steams to a custard - take it further than feels comfortable.

• 2 Japanese eggplants (nasu)
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dashi (or 2 tablespoons for a lighter, brothier finish)
• 1 green onion, finely sliced
• Optional: katsuobushi to top (swap: toasted sesame)

1. Prick each eggplant a few times with a knife so it doesn’t burst.
2. Char the whole eggplants until the skin is blistered black and the flesh is completely soft - over a gas flame (about 8-10 minutes, turning), under a hot broiler, or in a 220°C oven for 25-30 minutes.
3. While still hot, peel off the blackened skin (easier warm). Trim the stem.
4. Tear or slice the flesh lengthwise into strips. Chill in the fridge.
5. To serve, top with grated ginger, sliced green onion, and a mix of soy sauce and dashi spooned over. Finish with katsuobushi or sesame if using.

Hiyayakko (Cold Silken Tofu)

Serves 2

Barely a recipe - assembly more than cooking. Keep the tofu cold until the last minute.

• 1 block silken (kinugoshi) tofu
• 1 green onion, finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• Soy sauce, to drizzle
• Optional: katsuobushi to top (swap: a little grated daikon or toasted sesame)

1. Gently drain the tofu and pat dry. Cut into 2 squares, or leave whole in a shallow bowl.
2. Pile the green onion and grated ginger on top.
3. Add katsuobushi or your chosen topping.
4. Drizzle with soy sauce just before serving. Serve well chilled.

Zaru Udon (Cold Udon with Dipping Sauce)

Serves 2

Cold noodles served on the side with a dashi-soy tsuyu for dipping. Make the tsuyu first so it has time to chill. The ratio is 4:1:1 dashi to soy to mirin - scale it freely.

Tsuyu (dipping sauce):

• 240 milliliters dashi
• 60 milliliters soy sauce
• 60 milliliters mirin

Noodles and garnish:

• 2 portions udon (fresh or dried)
• 1 green onion, finely sliced
• Optional: shredded nori, wasabi

1. Tsuyu: combine the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a small pan. Bring just to a boil to cook off the mirin’s alcohol, then remove from heat. Cool, then chill in the fridge.
2. Cook the udon per package directions until just tender.
3. Drain and rinse under cold running water, rubbing gently to remove surface starch, until the noodles are cold. Drain well.
4. Pile the noodles on a plate, bamboo tray, or in a basket. Scatter with shredded nori if using.
5. Pour the chilled tsuyu into individual cups. Add sliced green onion and a dab of wasabi to each cup. Dip the noodles a few strands at a time to eat.

Wakame no Sunomono (Vinegared Seaweed)

Serves 2

The brightener - sour, mineral, and a different texture. Rehydrate only what you need; dried wakame expands a lot.

• 2 tablespoons dried wakame
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar (or mirin)
• A splash of soy sauce
• A small pinch of dashi powder
• Optional: grated ginger or toasted sesame

1. Soak the dried wakame in cold water for 5-10 minutes until unfurled and tender. Drain and gently squeeze out the excess water.
2. Whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and dashi powder until the sugar dissolves.
3. Toss the wakame in the dressing.
4. Serve chilled, topped with a little ginger or sesame if you like.

Notes

• Make ahead: The yakinasu and the tsuyu both want time in the fridge, so make them first - even a couple of hours ahead. The tofu and seaweed come together in minutes, and the udon is best cooked and rinsed just before serving.
• Keeping it vegetarian: Skip the katsuobushi everywhere it appears and use the suggested swaps (toasted sesame, grated daikon). Make sure your dashi powder is a kombu or shiitake dashi rather than a bonito-based one.
• Dashi: A good instant dashi powder is more than fine here. If you want to make it from scratch, a quick kombu-and-katsuobushi ichiban dashi will lift every dish on the table.