Simply Scrumptious

Two weeks left with the little ones here at the farm. Two weeks left with cooking between the tiaras and baby bottles and Legos and baby bibs on the kitchen counter. I've looked for easy recipes all summer that can be quickly put together while Little Sister and Baby Girl nap in the afternoon. Cooking might be easier in a couple of weeks, but it surely will be empty here in the kitchen.

My friend Carol slipped this recipe to me at church yesterday as we were going into the sanctuary. It's exactly the kind of recipe I want need right now. I've eaten this at her house, but I had not made it before. When we had lunch with friends last week, one of the girls said they had made a triple batch of this for a family trip (lots of family) to the beach early in the summer. The more we talked about this recipe, the more I remembered how good it was.

It's a great dish when you need something that can be made in a hurry. There isn't much cooking or chopping or measuring. Amounts of veggies don't have to be precise. (The recipe she brought to me didn't have any measurements for the vegetables other than "1 can." But I can hear my daughter asking me what size can, how much corn, so I added that.) You just put it together and then pop it into the refrigerator to let the vegetables absorb the flavor of the marinade. And, it will keep for one to two weeks in the refrigerator—if it lasts that long! 

I am blessed with friends who are all terrific cooks. I love it when I get a recipe from any of them. I did ask if I could share this one here. And Carol gave her blessing. We hope you enjoy these veggies, too.

CAROL'S MARINATED VEGGIES

1 (15.5 oz.) can light red kidney beans

1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans

1 (6.5 oz.) can mushroom stems & pieces

1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts

1 (2 oz. ) jar diced pimento

frozen white corn (amount about equal to the kidney beans)

frozen green peas (amount about equal to the kidney beans)

1 bag frozen shelled edamame beans, cooking according to package directions

1 rib celery, finely chopped (optional)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Drain and rinse canned vegetables. Cook and cool edamame beans. In a large bowl, mix drained beans, pimento, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. 

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. When cool, pour over vegetables and refrigerate. Vegetables will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Yes, you add the corn and peas frozen. No cooking. I did cut the slices of water chestnuts into smaller pieces. I'm sure if there is something that you don't like here, you can leave it out. 

I live near a small town. A tiny town. I wasn't surprised that our grocery store didn't have shelled edamame beans. (Now, if you want a package of chicken feet or ham hocks, our store's got you covered.) I was happy to find them in the shell, so I cooked those in the steamer bag and it only took a few minutes to pop them out of the hulls.

Daddy-O walked through as I was making the photos. And of course, he had to sample. The veggies had only been in the marinade for minutes. He ate a big spoonful and said, "Mmmm, this is tasty!" Imagine how much better it will be in several hours.

He is going to miss his little shadow all too soon.