Savor summer’s last hurrahs with this colorful salad, featuring nutty and slightly sweet black rice, crunchy edamame, a tangy sesame-tamari-lime dressing, and peaches, the season’s fuzzy stone fruit darlings.  If you live in the New York tristate area, you might have noticed a peach shortage this year.  Still, they’ve been showing up at the markets, and while they might be a bit pricier than usual, they are as wonderful as ever right now, if not even more precious.
*The drop of olive oil in the rice is totally optional but very helpful if you’re like me and tend to have rice stick to the pan.  Skip it if you use a rice cooker.
*If you’d like a spicier dish, leave more of the jalapeño’s seeds and pith intact.  If you prefer a milder dish, remove all the seeds and pith.

1 cup black rice
drop of olive oil, optional
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
2 ripe, sweet peaches, pitted and sliced
2 scallions, light green and white part only, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, removed of most (but not all) of its pith and seeds, finely chopped
3 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
juice from 1 lime
1-2 small squirts of agave
generous handful of basil, chopped
sea salt

• To cook the black rice, place in a small pot with 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt, and a drop of olive oil (if using).  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 40 minutes.  Turn off heat, let sit for 10 minutes (covered), then fluff with a fork.  Let cool.
• To cook the edamame, place in a small pot and cover with water by a few inches.  Bring to a boil, then cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Dry and season with a bit of salt.
• To make the dressing, combine tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, and agave in a jar.  Secure lid, then shake vigorously to mix.
• Toss cooled rice with edamame, peaches, scallions, jalapeño, and dressing.  Taste for seasoning– you may wish to add more tamari and/or agave– and top with basil.  Let sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to mingle, then serve.

Yield: About 4-5 servings