I like lima beans.
I always have. Yes, they’re really more a neutral flavor than anything else, and yes, they can be a little waxy sometimes, but, there’s something really comforting about them. Also, they come in a pretty, tranquil, spring green color that reminds me of warm sunlight and soft soil.

Having given up bread for Lent, which, by the way, is proving much more difficult than last year’s 40 days of no cheese, and it’s only been two days so far, I’ve been trying to find lunch options other than sandwiches. Unfortunately I didn’t plan well for the first week of Lent, and the grocery list included bread, tuna, and peanut butter when I sent Fuzzy to the store on Monday.

On Wednesday, craving something other than tuna or scrambled eggs, and more substantial than a cup of yogurt, I found a bag of brown rice in the cabinet, and a package of frozen lima beans in the freezer. We have a rice cooker with a steamer tray, so, after washing the rice, it went into the usual part of the cooker, and the beans went into the steamer. Lids were placed on top with care, the “cook” button was pressed, and I trotted off to take a shower. There’s nothing like a hot shower when you’re hungry. Okay, hot soup would be better, but showers are good too. Mine wasn’t hot, however, as my stylist has me trained to only wash my hair in tepid water (it makes color last longer).

I re-entered the kitchen barefoot and with damp hair, and smiled because the cooker had done its thing, and now I had brown rice and lima beans. I served some of each into a pretty stoneware bowl, splashed on some MSG-free soy sauce, grabbed a bottle of water and a fork, and sat down to eat.

Delicious.
Warm, comforting, just the flavor I’d been craving.

I even had leftovers for Thursday’s lunch.

As I nibbled, I re-visited a conversation held over dinner in California a couple weeks ago. One of my dinner-companions was less than thrilled at the inclusion of lima beans among the vegetables on her plate. (I was happy with their inclusion, but that’s not the point.) “Well,” I suggested. “It’s a Polynesian restaurant. Do you like Japanese food? Pretend they’re edamame.”

When we go shopping this weekend, I’ll have to get more lima beans.
I also need more rice.
And maybe some tofu.