My sister and her family came to visit last weekend. Her husband is a farmer and immediately recognized these edamame (soybeans) growing in my garden, which is more than I can say for myself. In an earlier post I mis-remembered where I planted my edamame and identified black beans as soybeans!
Here is the real thing - they are slightly taller plants and the pods are fuzzy and shaped more like peanuts than string beans. I picked a handful Monday night and steamed them - they were delicious. I've never grown them or known anyone who grew them, so it was difficult to know when to pick them. Finally I just tried one raw. It was pretty good, just not as soft as steamed. To me they taste kind of like a cross between a lima bean and a delicate nut. Much thanks to Matty and Renee Michelle for bringing these into my life!
You know, I wish I remembered where I learned about edamame. We certainly didn't *eat* soybeans in the Midwest - they were for cattle :)
ReplyDeleteYes, when my BIL the farmer recognized the soybeans he came to ask me what I planned to do with them. When I said I was going to steam them and eat them he said, clearly trying to keep an open mind, "Have you ever tried that before?"
ReplyDeleteHa!! Kevin's mother (who grows soybeans and other things for a living!!) came with us to a Happy Hour at a hip bar downtown last time they were here and after trying the Edamame wanted to know what it was, and then SWORE it was not soybeans. "I know what soybeans look like, and this is not it!!", she said.
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