Japanese Soybean Dishes & Art by Ayano Matsumae

We thank artist and Firefly Friend Ayano Matsumae for sharing her beautiful kitchen creations with us in this Kitchen feature starring her homemade Japanese Soybean Dishes. Ayano was born in Tokushima, Japan and grew up in many rural areas and is now living and working on the east coast United States. She has been teaching and inspiring us much about how to cook the organic soybeans we grow on our farm. Here are some of Ayano’s Soybean Creations:

‘Zouni’, a Japanese traditional miso soup with mochi (rice cake)

Gomoku-mame, simmered soybeans and vegetables

Ingredients: Soybeans, gobo(burdock roots), carrot, bamboo-shoots, shiitake-mushrooms, konnyaku, kelp (soaked in water to be hydrated, and also the liquid is saved for use as dashi/broth), ginger.  

They were cooked in liquid from the boiled soybeans, kelp dashi/broth, soy sauce and mirin.  Blanched snow peas and shichimi togarashi (seven herbs with chili) for garnish.

Simple Boiled Soybean

One of Ayano’s husband’s favorite appetizers: with few drops of soy sauce and shichimi-togarashi. 

Chirashi-zushi (scattered-sushi)

*Sushi rice: sticky rice, vinegar, honey, konbu seaweed, salt
*Simmered vegetables:  soybeans, gobo(burdock root), bamboo shoot, carrot, konbu-seaweed, konnyaku (こんにゃく), satoimo (taro potatoes) simmered in konbu broth, soy sauce, mirin, sake
*Simmered Kanpyō and dried shiitake mushroom: simmered in dried shiitake broth, soy sauce and mirin,
*Tamba kuromame(famous black soybeans produced in Tamba-Sasayama area, Hyogo prefecture),  
*Shredded egg crape (called kinshi-tamago in Japanese): eggs, salt and sake
*Pickled radish:  radish, rice vinegar, honey and salt 
*Blanched snow peas
Each * is separately prepared, then, combine together.

Vegan simmered soybeans, ‘hijiki’ seaweed and vegetables (Hijiki no Gomokuni) 

Hijiki seaweed, wood ear mushroom, shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoot, carrot, gobo(burdock root), konbu seaweed, ginger, chili flakes, soy sauce, mirin, snow peas, topped with shichimi-togarashi (Japanese seven spice mix with chili pepper) 

Thank you for sharing, Ayano!! Check out Ayano’s ‘slow process’ photographic artworks here.

Link: https://www.ayanophoto.com/  

If you have a recipe, food inspiration, and pictures featuring the food grown on our farm that you would like (or be willing) to share, please let us know. We’d LOVE to showcase the food we grow through your eyes.

Contact: Virginia at virginia@firefly-fields.com