Soybeans & more soybeans

My husband and I have not eaten meat for over two years. Instead, we use soybeans—along with raw peanuts, dairy products and eggs—as our main source of protein. Amsoy beans are our favorites since they do not have black "eyes" and their flavor is better than most commercial varieties.

We grow our own but—if you can't do the same—untreated, cleaned, certified seed beans are available for about $4.00 a bushel. Since the two of us use less than one bushel of soybeans a year, buying them is still much, much less expensive than purchasing or butchering one's own meat.

Soybeans should be soaked overnight before use. Some of the natural food authorities advise that this soaking be done in the refrigerator to prevent the beans from fermenting but any cool spot should do. Once the beans have been soaked, however, they definitely should be stored in the refrigerator until used.

Cook the beans 1 1/2 to 2 hours in salted water to which a little butter or margarine has been added. A few shakes of sea salt, hickory smoked salt or chopped onion and tomatoes adds variety.

The soybeans will be soft and tender when done. They make delicious soup; you can grind them and put them—with egg and rolled wheat flakes—in a meatless loaf that is served with tomato or cheese sauce; add them to dried fruit confections; or use them whole in "chicken salad" in place of cubed chicken.

OK. Eating soybeans is less expensive than eating meat . . . but what about health? All we can say is that "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". Our health is excellent and we're sure that (1) no fat meat and (2) plenty of whole grain cereal has a lot to do with it.

While we're on the subject of soybeans, everyone around MOTHER'S place likes to munch 'em roasted. The recipe, which we got from THE NATURAL FOODS COOKBOOK, goes something like this: