Braving The Edamame

I'm so loving the way our Red Wagon Organic Farm CSA supplies us with loads of traditional veggies, yet also challenges us occasionally with something to contend with. I've already conquered fava beans and kohlrabi this summer, and the current challenge is edamame. We eat them all the time, coming conveniently shelled from a freezer bag, but these are the real thing, growing on leafy stalks nearly three feet long. Everything I'm seeing says boil the picked bean pods for five minutes, drain and salt. I have a lovely Himalayan pink salt I can crack over them, but it always mystified me why someone would salt something that would be peeled anyway until the fine Red Wagon folks explained that you can crack the cooked salted pods with your teeth, thereby enjoying the salt as you get the beans. Wish me luck. At least this will be a nice veggie appetizer to the t-bone steaks picked up from Lucky's in Longmont for just $5.97 a pound this week, an indulgence allowed since the CSA is dominating the week with fabulous veggie-heavy options like the ratatouille we did last night.