Usually I go food shopping alone. Shopping with the family is fun, but we end up getting into accidents with the car cart while spending three hundred dollars on fancy cereal and sausage. And Rosie has a bit of a shoplifting problem. So I go alone, even if it means I have to go late at night.
The other day was an exception. Sadie was at a birthday party, and Joey and Rosie and I went to the store. I sent him to the canned food aisle for a can of white beans. He came back with these.
I said, “I don’t even know what these are. Put them back.”
“They’re lupini. Look, they’re white beans. Let’s try.” (that’s Joey.)
Fine. Lupini.
When I opened the jar to mash them in my creative lasagna, I was puzzled.
What are these?
Google lupini! (that’s me)
Lupini were googled, and it turns out they are not for cooking. They are a sort of Mediterranean edamame, soaked in salt to take out the bitterness, popped out of their clear skin and eaten with beer in the Mediterranean. I can’t think of anything better than eating lupini with beer in the Mediterranean. They come from the lupine plant. The lupine plant!
They are so salty.
They are so addictive.
They are so good.
Sometimes it pays to take the family shopping.
Occasionally I teach workshops, and I have one coming up this fall. Join me and stellar novelist 
sounds fun…thanks for the heads up, I will try em.
I grew lupini this year in the garden! I only ended up with about a pint of beans after harvesting, shelling, soaking/draining/soaking – but i think they were worth it as a snacky tidbit. I will certainly grow them again.
See how pretty!
Oh they are so beautiful! I've always loved the lupine- lovely to see it's edibility.