Edamame is the Japanese word for soybean. Soybeans are somewhat mild in flavor, a cross between a pea and a fava bean. We’re lucky enough to sometimes find them fresh during the summer months, at the farmer’s market or a specialty store, but they are widely available frozen, both in the pod and shelled. Adults and children alike love edamame as a snack. Once the soybeans are cooked or reheated, drain them well, and season with coarse salt or sea salt. Squeeze the seeds directly from the pods into your mouth. Think highbrow boiled peanuts. Edamame may be eaten as a snack or a vegetable, and used in soups or stir-fries. I also like to mash them with potatoes, as in this recipe.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, quartered

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 cups shelled edamame beans, thawed if frozen

　　1/4 cup whole milk or buttermilk

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

　　

Step 1

In a saucepan, add the potatoes and enough cold water to cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Season with salt, decrease the heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the butter is melted, then cover and keep warm.

　　

Step 3

Return the drained vegetables to their saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until a floury film forms on the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Mash the vegetables in the saucepan until smooth with a ricer, food mill, or potato masher. Add the warm milk mixture and the chives, stirring vigorously until well combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.