good times, noodle salad

While visiting family a few weeks ago, I tried the delicious Sesame Noodle Salad at McKenzie Brew House in Malvern, PA. A blend of lightly sauteed vegetables, cashews, cilantro, and thin noodles in a sesame vinaigrette, it was the perfect lunch for a warm spring afternoon. And of course, the first thing I wanted to do when I got back to New York was to recreate it at home. I used lots of fresh ingredients--zucchini, red peppers, carrots--and improvised a sesame-soy sauce by combining a couple of recipes I found online. The finished product looked really pretty...

...but unfortunately, it didn't taste anything like the original. My version was way too earthy (I think due to too much sesame oil?) and not nearly as flavorful as I'd hoped, with a bit of a funky aftertaste. Plus the vegetables and cashews got soggy after just a few hours in the fridge, making it less than ideal for next-day leftovers. 

Better luck next time, I guess.