It's already harvest time. At least if you chose the right vegetables or fruits, since already at the beginning of summer there are a lot of things that want to be harvested and eaten. I as a half-baked city boy have also grown up in the vicinity of some smaller fields and gardens, but we probably haven't found a connection to each other yet. In recent times, however, this seems to change a little, because more and more I discover that there is a growing interest in me, for all the fruits that grow out there. Perhaps the interest also comes from the fact that although I have been living in the city for the last few years, I travel quite a bit through the countryside, and in the process I keep passing all kinds of fields and orchards. Perhaps when we get older we also ask ourselves with increasing intensity where all the food actually comes from, which is presented to us day in and day out in the supermarket. Of course, I have not been completely ignorant, but in recent times, some gaps in my knowledge have closed, while in other places, completely new ones have suddenly opened up. But that's the interesting thing about our life, you just never stop learning....
A few days ago we found our way to the bean, of which there seems to be an infinite number of species. The most common in Japan is the soybean, which has made it into the local cuisine in a variety of forms. Miso, natto, edamae, and of course the ubiquitous soy sauce, to name a few. Sometimes the beans are processed beyond recognition, at other times they are eaten almost au naturel. And since beans usually have peak nutritional values, we should invite them into your kitchen way more often. And once they are there you can create a whole lot out of them.
So we came across the Sayaendo, the snow pea. Technically, peas belong to the bean family and thus to the legumes, but I won't go into that here. We were invited to harvest a bush of sayaendo and help ourselves, and we didn't need to be asked twice.
For the children it was quite some fun and we helped ourselves properly. Actually, you're supposed to harvest snow peas as early as possible, before the actual peas have really formed in the pod. But we also picked up the thicker pods, which were then a bit firmer, but still did well in the kitchen.
Our pickings were plentiful and the fresh green pods promised to be a tasty side dish. We had had the pleasure of having fresh sayaendo on our plates before, so we knew what to expect, but were looking forward to it all the more.
Afterwards, we sat there for quite a while to remove the lateral strings and the stem base. This type of pea can be eaten as a whole, so there wasn't too much to throw away. As I said, the thinner the better, but then of course we didn't despise the thicker pods.
For the next day we were now well prepared and since in the meantime it has also turned past midnight, we have allowed ourselves and the peas a little rest. Tomorrow they will then end up in the pan and be braised there for a while with a little butter and soy sauce. Simple, light and healthy, and thus a good addition to the rice we enjoy almost every day, and probably to some fish. I'm looking forward to it quite a lot...
