Nibitashi is a technique in which vegetables are briefly cooked until crisp-tender and then marinated in flavored dashi. The dashi is seasoned with mirin and usukuchi shoyu, the light-colored soy sauce. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy seasonal vegetables. Here, you see asparagus, snack peas, faba beans, beet greens and broccoli raab. The dashi marinade enhances the natural flavor of all of these vegetables. In this sauce, I use usukuchi shoyu, a light-colored shoyu with a lighter color and flavor. Ingredients: Choice of June / summer greens (For example, 1 bunch of asparagus and 1 bunch of broccoli raab) 1⅓ cups dashi 2 tablespoons mirin (substitute with 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup) 2 tablespoons usukuchi shoyu Instructions: Prepare the vegetables. Remove the tough ends and any brown frills from the asparagus. Because the stems and leafy tops of broccoli raab cook at different speeds, bundle the stalks together and secure the bottom with a rubber band. Make the marinade. In a pot, combine the dashi, mirin, and usukuchi shoyu. Bring to a light simmer, then turn off the heat. Transfer the warm marinade to a container. Cook the asparagus. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it lightly. Cook the asparagus for 1–2 minutes, just until bright green and crisp-tender. Cool immediately in cold water; quickly drain, and pat dry. Add the asparagus to the marinade in the container. Cook the broccoli raab. Lower only the stem portion into boiling water for 1 minute, then push the leafy tops into the water to finish cooking the whole bundle evenly – 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and transfer the greens into a bowl of cold water. Remove from the water, squeeze firmly, and add to the marinade. Set the container in a bowl of cold water to cool the vegetables quickly. Marinate.When the vegetables are cool, cover the container with a fitting lid and refrigerate. They are ready in 1 hour, or marinate overnight for a deeper flavor.
