Yet More Hot Weather Japanese Dinner Favorites

Cafe Drake counts shiso amongst our most treasured kitchen ingredients but let's face it, it's not an herb always on hand. (We keep arriving at our local green market too late on Saturday mornings to snag the paltry handful of bunches for sale, ergh). It's impossible to recreate fully the intricate flavors of fresh shiso leaves, but a very decent substitute is 2/3 mint leaves combined with 1/3 basil leaves. Shred and mix together.

Above mint/basil combo employed to make "shiso rice".

Light, cooling, easy to digest . . . the joys of Zen cuisine in summer.

Dried shitake mushrooms, simmered in dashi broth along with soy sauce, mirin and sake, are delicious chilled atop anything - rice, sandwiches and as above, with watercress salad.

A new version of Tofu Salad created from the overflow of Cafe Drake's refrigerator. Finely chop 1 peeled and seeded Kirby cucumber and combine with 1 minced, small red onion. Toss with about 1 T. of grape seed oil (or veggie) and 2 T. ponzu sauce. Marinate for 1 hour. Spoon over well-chilled soft tofu (drained in paper towels and cubed). Season with fleur de sel and serve very cold.