Fresh soybeans are one of the fashionable 'new' ingredients in Western cooking, where they're usually called by their Japanese name, edamame. They've been used in Asian cuisines for ages. Like other soy products (tofu, miso, soybean milk, tamari), fresh soybeans are nutritious. The fuzzy green pods can be found much of the year in wet markets, and year-round in shops that specialise in Shanghainese products. They make a wonderful snack: boil the pods in salted water, drain and sprinkle them with sea salt; serve warm or at room temperature; eat the beans straight from the pods.

They're delicious sauted with shrimp; the contrast between the green of the soybeans and the pink shrimp makes a lovely combination. Blanch the pods briefly, then drain and squeeze the beans from their shells. Peel and clean the shrimp and toss lightly in rice wine. Heat oil in a wok and cook the soybeans with garlic and sliced ginger. Add about 1/4 cup of water or broth to the wok, cover with the lid and simmer until the beans are tender. Add in the shrimp, sprinkle with salt and stir-fry over high heat until the shrimp turn pink. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve with rice.

For a light, summery vegetable risotto, I add an equal amount of sauted vegetables to the cooked arborio rice. Blanch and shell the soybean pods as above. Saute garlic and diced onion until they are soft, then add blanched asparagus cut into three-centimetre pieces, diced yellow and green zucchini and the shelled soybeans. Cook the vegetables until they are tender. Cook the risotto in the usual way: saute a diced onion then add in the rice and stir to coat with oil. Add in hot broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding more. When the rice is al dente, add in the sauted vegetables, grated parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.