Not too long ago, soybeans were pig feed. Now they're edamame, the addictive little peas in a pod that sushi bars have introduced into the greater culinary lexicon. Fresh soybeans boiled in salt water need little embellishment, but that hasn't stopped New York kitchens from gilding the lily; at Bright Food Shop, their subtle vegetal flavor gets punched up with chipotles and kaffir-lime leaves. But that's nothing compared with our personal favorite, the kimchee edamame sold most days at the Hydro Garden Farm stand at Union Square Greenmarket. These soybeans are grown on Long Island by a Taiwanese family who steep them in a sophisticated (not to mention near-lethal) mixture of hot peppers, garlic, and scallions.