JOB’S TEARS AND EDAMAME IN A CARROT DRESSING

²⁄₃ cup Job’s tears (hato mugi), preferably dark (yuuki hato mugi)

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

8 ounces firm tofu, diced

1 large carrot, grated through the large holes of a box grater

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons white miso paste

1 tablespoon tamari sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1. Pour the Job’s tears into a large saucepan, cover them with cool water by several inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until soft but starchy, sort of like al dente soba noodles, between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on the grains’ residual moisture content from long storage. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve or small-holed colander set in the sink. Run under cool water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly.

2. Scrape the grains into a large bowl. Stir in the edamame. Lay the diced tofu on top without stirring it in.

3. Puree the carrot, ginger, miso, tamari, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a food processor or even a mini food processor. Add water—up to ¼ cup—until the mixture processes into a thick, coarse dressing. Pour this over the salad, then toss gently, keeping the tofu pieces whole as you stir them through the grains.

SERVES 4

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

GRAIN SWAPS

Substitute ²⁄₃ cup hull-less barley for the Job’s tears; soak the barley for at least 8 and up to 16 hours before cooking with the East Indian method.

TESTERS’ NOTES

Job’s tears easily lend themselves to Asian palettes, a little bit of whole grain goodness among the ginger and flavorings.
Tamari is an ultra-smooth, Japanese-style soy sauce, often available in wheat-free bottlings.