Edamole

Time is flying by me these days. Wait, no, more like whizzing. I was stunned when I realized how long it had been since the last time I had a moment to sit down and write a blog! My apologies, my friends. However, since the last time I wrote I have completed a week long Cabinets and Built-ins class at Yestermorrow and am on my way to building my new kitchen island, all with the help of a few amazing Yester-friends. Pretty cool. I am now way too excited by the idea of table saws, routers and wood grains. Not a bad new hobby though. Here is what we constructed in class, although we now have two drawers and 3 doors as well, just no picture. I'll make sure to post a picture of the finale when we are all finished.

Anyway, I realized I left you hanging months ago with the edamole recipe that I promised to post in August and then promptly neglected. So here it is, in all of it's green glory. It is the perfect spread for homemade veggie burgers, falafels and makes a beautiful dip served with pita chips or crackers. Popping with the spark of raw garlic, riding smooth with pureed edamame beans and finishing with a lemony tang, it is a truly rich dip.

Edamame as a whole bean is packed with protein, monounsaturated fats and fiber. If you are lucky, you can sometimes find it in the pod at the Farmer's Market in the summer, but this time of the year you will probably find it in the freezer section. Make sure to check that it is a non-GMO and organic source, as soybeans are, unfortunately, a commodity crop in the US these days and often compromised by science and synthetic pesticides. Save yourself some time and buy the shelled version for this recipe.

The raw garlic is perfect for this time of year as a powerful immune booster, due to the compound allicin, which develops as garlic is crushed and exposed to oxygen. A true medicine in and of itself.

Simple, stunning, and delicious, it doesn't get much better than that!

Edamole
Serves  6

Ingredients
10 oz. package edamame, thawed
1 large garlic clove, minced
juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of cayenne or hot sauce (to taste)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper to taste
cayenne or paprika for garnish

Directions
Blend all ingredients in a large food processor until smooth. Sprinkle with cayenne or paprika for a nice contrasting garnish.

Relax. Eat Well.