Grill

I'm always on the lookout for new summer salads, and anything that can be cooked on the grill is a big plus in my family.  When I set out to make this salad, I knew from the get-go that I wanted to combine shiitakes and edamame, but how to prepare the edamame was a big question mark. Since a salad was my goal, grilling the edamame in its pods was out so instead I turned to shelled edamame. Wanting the edamame to get tender yet charred in spots, I decided to blanch it, then finish it off on a grill tray. It worked beautifully. It's a great pair for grilled shiitakes, which soak up the simple soy-sesame-ginger dressing and burst with flavor.  But the finishing touch of freshly grated orange zest and sesame salt (or gomashio) is my absolute favorite part of this salad and what really makes it special. (Be sure you taste the salad before and after adding the zest and sesame salt to see what a difference they make!) Note: a shallow grill tray/pan with fine mesh or small perforations works best for grilling the shiitakes and edamame. If your shiitakes are large, they can be grilled directly on the grates. If you don't have a suitable grill tray/pan, you can use a cast-iron pan on the grill. You can also achieve similar results indoors with a ridged grill pan or cast-iron skillet.

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