Alton's Edamame Salad

Here's my take on an Alton Brown recipe that normally requires using 400F oven for nearly an hour.  The outside temp here is sweltering and the last thing I want to do is turn my oven on so here's my revised stove-top version.  This delicious salad is perfect served at room temperature making it a great option for picnics and potlucks.  Enjoy!

Start by sauteeing the edamame and corn in a large, nonstick skillet until they both start to get lots of caramelized brown spots.  Stir frequently to prevent burning.

By the way, I used frozen edamame and corn - they thawed quickly in the skillet.

When the veggies have lots of caramelized spots, remove them from the heat and transfer them to a large bowl.  

I'm tell you what, that toasty corn flavor is key in the finished salad.  So, so good! 

Now cut up the sweetest tomatoes you can find.  I found this colorful variety at the farmer's market and they are bursting with fresh summer flavor.

You'll also need some chopped fresh basil and scallions (white and green parts).

The very last thing that goes into this simple salad is red wine vinegar.  It does something magical so definitely don't skip it.  Now toss everything well and it's ready to serve. 

Serve at room temperature and enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• large nonstick skillet https://amzn.to/3HDKZxy

• wusthof utility knife https://amzn.to/3JeWVGg

• bread board https://amzn.to/3spMZTI

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Edamame Summer Salad

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen or thawed edamame beans

• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or half fine salt)

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 cup sliced scallions (white and green parts)

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

1. In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, saute the edamame, corn, salt, and pepper in the olive oil, stirring very frequently, until the edamame and corn turn golden brown in spots; remove from heat and place in large bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well; serve at room temperature.

adapted from Good Eats

Hot Ume Somen Noodle Bowls

When one of my daughters visited Japan, she brought home a package of pink noodles (ume somen).  The noodles get their lovely color from plums and they have a delicately sweet flavor.  The noodles are hard to find in the US, but if you come across them, do yourself a favor and grab several packages.  If you can't find them, you can make the same tasty dish by substituting white somen or buckwheat soba noodles. 

If you're interested in seeing how these noodles are traditionally used, check out my recipe for cold ume somen with spicy dressing.

For this recipe we'll need the noodles, edamame (soy beans), instant dashi granules, shredded crab meat, salt, and scallions.

Cook the noodles in boiling salted water - they don't take very long to cook so keep a close eye on them.  3-5 minutes is all it takes.

Drain and rinse to stop the cooking process. 

Although the leftover cooking water is a lovely pink color, discard it and fill the same pan with 4 cups of fresh cold water.

Add instant dashi granules to taste - they are VERY STRONG so start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more if needed.

Stir and bring to a simmer.

Ladle hot dashi broth into bowls and divide remaining ingredients between the bowls.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• somen noodles https://amzn.to/35QjQp5

• instant dashi https://amzn.to/2LiQjuK

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Hot Ume Somen Noodle Bowls

makes 2 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Ume Somen (plum noodles) or other noodles

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• instant dashi granules

• 8 crab sticks, shredded

• 1 cup cooked, shelled edamame

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a large pot, 8 cups of water to a boil; add salt and stir to dissolve.

2. Cook noodles in boiling water, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until soft, but not mushy.

3. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process; set aside

4. Discard the water used to cook the noodles.

5. In the same large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.

6. Add instant dashi granules to taste (I start with about 1/4 teaspoon or so).

7. Ladel hot dashi into soup bowls.

8. Add noodles, crab, and edamame to the bowls; sprinkle with sliced scallions.