Life is Good

Jack made it home from his teaching year in Germany last Wednesday and this morning, I picked Mary up from the airport for a 10-day visit. On Friday night, Maggie is coming for dinner; the first time we've had the whole family together in more than a year.

One of the first things Jack did when he got home was to dust the cobwebs off the ping pong table and set it up on the back porch. Today, he and Mary moved the outdoor dining table to the small screened porch, just off our bedroom. In honor of Mary's first night home we celebrated with a Thai Chicken Salad dinner on the porch. While I assembled the salad, Mary and Jack engaged in an Olympic-inspired ping pong match.

I've been making this salad for more than 20 years, ever since I spotted it in an '80s edition of Gourmet. It is perfect for a hot summer night. For tonight's version, I just picked up a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, grabbed a package of cellophane noodles from the pantry, and made a trip out to the garden for cucumbers, okra, red and green-stripped tomatoes, little cherry tomatoes, and carrots. The dressing whips up in just a couple of minutes and voila! Dinner is served.

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Thai Chicken Salad

1 package cellophane noodles (bean threads)

cooked chicken, cut or torn into thin shreds (sometimes I use a roasted chicken from the grocery)

1 cup finely grated carrots

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped

grape tomatoes

1/3 cup coarsely crushed roasted peanuts

For the Dressing

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a large heatproof bowl, pour boiling water to cover the noodles and let them stand for 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and arrange them on a large platter. Top with chicken, cucumbers and carrot (sometimes I add grape tomatoes, green beans, edamame or other fresh vegetables). Top with roasted peanuts.

Make the dressing: mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. Blend together the soy sauce, the lime juice, the sugar, peanut butter and red pepper flakes. Add oil in a drizzle, blend well. Top salad with dressing or pass it separately.