Recipes for Week Eight
Edamame is a fresh vegetable soybean—that is, a soybean that doesn’t need to be processed to be eaten. They make a great snack, either right before dinner or between meals.
To prepare:
We’ve given it to you in the traditional Asian market style: on the plants. This is the fastest, most cost-effective way to market the soybeans, because, unlike green beans or peas, it takes a bit of effort to strip off the individual pods. It isn’t hard if you’re doing enough for a family, but it would take us all day to do enough for everyone.
So, the first step is to strip the pods off the plants. If you have kids, this is a fun activity for them to do (outside might be cleaner). Collect all the pods into a bowl.
Meanwhile, boil water in a pot big enough to hold all your soybean pods. Salt it heavily (salt is key to edamame enjoyment, as you’ll see later).
Add the pods to the water and boil them until they are tender. Some people like them al dente (10 minutes or so) and others like them very soft (15-20 minutes). Very soft is our preferred method.
Drain the water from the pot, and pour the edamame into a bowl. Gather the troops to eat these immediately; they’re the best when hot. Set out a second bowl for empty pods. Salt the pods again.
To eat:
Pick up a pod with your fingers and hold it to your lips. Use your teeth or lips and fingers to push or pull the individual beans out of the pod and into your mouth. It’s kind of goofy feeling at first, but once you taste that first bean (buttery, salty, soft), you’ll just go for more without thinking about it!
The Japanese like to eat these like bar nuts: salty and with beer. If you are over 21 and of that persuasion, we highly recommend that combination. They’re so good together that there’s even a variety of edamame named, ‘Beer Friend’! Enjoy!
Salsa fresca
Although we imagine that many of you will want to savor this week’s tomatoes as they are—delicious and fresh—we also suggest making some easy delicious fresh salsa.
Chop your tomatoes. Chop your peppers (although depending on how hot you want it, you may not want to include all of the hot peppers). Chop a portion of your sweet onion. Mix together. Add salt and pepper.
Storing in a closed container for a few hours or overnight (in the refrigerator) will help the flavors blend but isn’t necessary. Serve as a garnish, dip, or topping.
