WineLovers Discussion Group

1/2 lb sea beans
2 kumquats
1 tbs black sesame seeds, toasted
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs mirin
1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Really more of a description than a recipe. Sea beans (also known as glasswort) resemble little branched haricots verts and have the taste of... the sea.

Soak the beans in an excess of water for at least 3 hours. Remove any tough or woody parts at the root. Blanch for three minutes, refresh in ice water, then drain.

Sliver the kumquats, removing any seeds.

Toss the drained beans, kumquat slivers, sesame seeds, and dressing ingredients together, then adjust seasoning (the quantities I give are approximate- I'm a "by eye" sort of cook). Allow to marinate for 10 minutes, then toss again and plate.

Aha! So you soak them to leech out the heavy salt flavor. I've tasted them raw at the market but have never bought any because I didn't know how to use them. Didn't dawn on me to just soak them.

Sounds good. They're a beautiful vegetable--are they part of the kelp family?

No, it's actually a succulent. I had always passed them by, but decided to play with them a bit. We hit on the idea of the kumquat to temper the saltiness that still remains after soaking. Worked, too.