Black Rice, Rocket, Bean and Semi-Dried Tomato Salad

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This salad is very versatile.  You can use asparagus and broad beans in early Spring, peas and baby carrots or beans and grilled zucchini. Ingredients 250g black rice 250 grams of mixed coloured beans, steamed and cut into 2 cm pieces 100 grams of sugar snap peas, steamed and cut into bite size pieces 3 spring onions, roughly chopped or the top of an onion 3/4 cup semi-dried tomato coarsely chopped 250 grams baby rocket 1 lemon 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 large clove of garlic, crushed 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar Sea salt and (lots of) freshly ground black pepper

Method 1.  Cook rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 35-40 minutes. Drain well, spread out on a plate or a rimmed baking sheet, and let cool. 2. While the rice is cooking, steam beans until tender.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Cut the beans into bite size pieces. Steam sugar snaps until they sweat.  Remove from heat and place into iced water. Cut into bite size pieces 3.  Wash and spin the rocket. lay onto a wide salad tray. 4.  When the rice is cool, sprinkle over rocket.  Add cooled beans and semi-dried tomatoes. 5.  In a container mix the dressing of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.  Dress the salad. Then zest the lemon and its juice over the top. Source - Jane Clift - One of our CSA members

Green Beans, Peas, Pink Grapefruit and Coriander

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This salad was made for us for dinner by my daughter and her grandmother and then made again the next day for lunch by my daughter by herself!!  She liked it so much she wrote down the recipe and asked to use the last of the bean harvest to make it for Sunday lunch.  Food made by other people does always taste great...delicious food made by a nine year old taste absolutely terrific!!!

She did not write down any amounts...but just mixed and tasted and did everything else by eye.  She left the chilies to me to add to my plate.

Ingredients Green Beans Snow Peas or Sugar Snaps Pink Grapefruit, peeled and sectioned Spring onion, cut or a little bit of red onion, diced small Coriander, ripped coarsley Cashews, toasted Chilies, diced finely - optional Dressing Juice of a whole lime or two couple of spoonfuls of dark brown sugar couple of shakes of fish sauce

Method 1. Steam or blanch the green beans and the peas. Cool in ice water. 2. Add to the grapefruit, onions and coriander. 3. Toss with dressing. 4. Serve alone or on top of mixed greens.

Tahini Dressed Courgette and Green Bean Salad

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Recipe copied from “River Cottage Veg Every Day!”by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

This lovely dish is as much about the dressing as the salad. It’s the kind of thick, trickling dressing that Yotam Ottolenghi does so well, and it gives a Middle Eastern edge and a bit of body to all kinds of salads and veg assemblies. It’s particularly good whenever courgettes [zucchini] or aubergines [eggplant] – grilled, barbecued or fried – are part of the mix, hence the salad that follows and the serving suggestion for chargrilled summer veg. It works with lentils, other pulses, spelt and quinoa too. And its coating consistency makes it ideal to use as a dip-cum-dressing for crudités and rolled-up lettuce leaves.

Prep Time 10-15 minutes Cook Time 5 minutes

FOR THE TAHINI DRESSING 1/2 garlic clove, crushed with a little coarse sea salt 2 tablespoons light tahini (stir the jar well first) Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon Juice of 1/2 orange 1/2 teaspoon clear honey 2 tablespoons olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALAD 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 medium courgettes (about 400g*), sliced into 3mm [very thin] rounds Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped About 125g French [green] beans, trimmed 4 good handfuls of salad leaves 12-18 oven dried tomatoes or semi-dried tomatoes (optional) A handful of mint, finely shredded (optional)

Method 1.  To make the tahini dressing, put the crushed garlic into a small bowl with the tahini, lemon zest and juice, honey and a grind of black pepper, and stir together well. The dressing may thicken and go grainy or pastey, but don’t worry. Just thin it down by whisking in a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get a creamy, trickling consistency. Finally, gently stir in the olive oil. Taste and add a little more salt and pepper if needed. The dressing is now ready to use. 2.  For the salad, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a fairly high heat and cook the courgette slices in batches, tossing them occasionally, for a few minutes until tender and browned on both sides, transferring them to a bowl once cooked. 3.  When the courgettes are all cooked, season generously with salt and pepper, add the lemon juice and chilli and toss together well. 4.  Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Tip in the French beans, return to the boil and blanch for 1 minute. Drain, then dunk in cold water to refresh. Drain again, pat dry with a clean tea towel and toss the beans with the courgettes. 5.  To assemble the salad, spread the salad leaves in a large shallow serving bowl and scatter over the dressed courgettes and beans, tomatoes and shredded mint, if using. Trickle the tahini dressing generously over the whole lot and serve.

Herby, Peanutty Noodly Salad

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A bright and zingy dressing, handfuls of herbs and crunchy peanuts pack loads of flavour into simple, easy-to-cook noodles. Taken from the River Cottage Veg Every Day! cook book and featured in the TV series. Check out the River Cottage website for more recipes. Prep Time 10-15min Cook Time 10-15 min

Ingredients 150g Thai rice noodles 150g French beans 2 Large handfuls of peanuts 2 tbs Rice wine vinegar 1 tsp Soy sauce 1 tsp Sesame oil 1 Lime, juice and zest 1 clove garlic, grated ½ Red chilli, finely chopped 1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced 4 Spring onions, sliced 1 ½ tbs each of Mint, coriander and basil

Method 1.  Cook the noodles and beans in boiling water for about three minutes or until noodles are cooked and beans still have some crunch. 2.  Drain in a colander and refresh under cold running water. 3.  Roast the peanuts in the oven for 8 minutes or until golden. 4.  Put the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and zest, garlic and chilli in a large bowl and give everything a good whisk. 5.  Add the drained noodles and beans to the bowl and give everything a good stir to ensure everything is evenly coated. 6.  Add the cucumber and spring onions to noodles and toss. 7.  Add the chopped herbs and give another good stir. 8.  Crush the peanuts with the back of a spoon. 9.  Plate the noodle salad and sprinkle with the toasted nuts.

Poached Vegetables with Caper Mayonnaise

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This recipe is from the cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. Just-poached vegetables show off their natural attributes, and taste fresh and light in a way you never get with roasting or frying. Baby turnip or corn will work, too, as will broad beans, peas and green beans. Don't chop them up much and don't cook them very long. Serve warm with the broth and mayonnaise as a starter, or cold with the mayonnaise only.

I have reprinted the recipe exactly even though all of the vegetables are not in season right now.  We made this the other night though with carrots, zucchini, green beans and leeks and it was lovely.

Ingredients Mayonnaise ½ garlic clove, crushed 1 egg yolk 1½ tsp white-wine vinegar ½ tsp Dijon mustard ½ tsp salt Juice and zest of ½ lemon 75ml vegetable oil 2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped

Poaching liquor 600ml white wine 200ml olive oil 150ml lemon juice 2 bay leaves ½ onion 2 celery sticks, cut into batons 1 tsp salt

The vegetables 100g baby fennel 200g baby carrot 150g fine asparagus 100g baby courgette 150g baby leek 2 tbsp chopped dill

Method 1. First make the mayo. Put the garlic, egg, vinegar, mustard, salt and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Start blending, and then, with the motor going, very slowly dribble in the oil until you get a thick mayonnaise. Fold in the capers and lemon zest and set aside. 2. Wash the vegetables but don't trim them too much, so you're left with some stalks or leaves. Depending on their size, cut the vegetables lengthways in halves or quarters, trying to get them a similar size. 3. Put the wine in a wide pan and boil for two to three minutes. Add all the other poaching liquor ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the fennel and carrot, then, after three minutes, the asparagus, courgette and leek, and cook for another three minutes. The vegetables should be cooked but still crunchy. Lift them from the broth and divide between four wide bowls. 4. Place a ladle of liquid around the vegetables, top with a dollop of mayonnaise and sprinkle with dill. Chill any leftover broth for later use.

 

Green Bean Salad

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From Plenty by  Ottolenghi, here is a wonderful combination of several flavours.  Makes a lovely salad. Ingredients 1-1/4 cups green beans, trimmed 2-1/4 cups snow peas, trimmed 1-3/4 cups green peas, fresh or frozen 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 1 mild red chile, seeded and finely diced 2 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle 1 tsp mustard seeds 3 tbsps olive oil 1 tsp nigella seeds 1 garlic clove, crushed grated zest of 1 lemon 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped coarse sea salt 1 cup baby chard leaves (optional)

Method 1. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 4 minutes. 2. Remove with a strainer and immediately refresh in ice water. 3. Drain and dry. 4. Repeat with snow pea pods or snap peas but boil for only 1 minute. 5. Refresh in ice water. 6. Drain and dry. 7. If using frozen peas, allow to defrost. If using fresh ones, blanch for 20 seconds and then refresh. 8. Combine the beans, snow peas, and peas in a large mixing bowl. 9. Put the coriander seeds, mustard seeds and oil in a small saucepan and heat up. When the seeds begin to pop, pour over the beans and peas. 10. Toss together. 11. Add the nigella seeds, red onion, chile, garlic, lemon zest, and tarragon. 12. Mix well and season with salt to taste. 13. Just before serving, gently fold in the chard leaves, if using.

 

Ministrone

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I have been told that every region in Italy has its own ministrone.  Keep that in mind when you are making this, substituting and adding anything you feel works. I have written the straight recipe from Slow Cooking by Joanne Glynn. Ingredients 220 gms dried borlotti beans 50 gms butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 15 gms parsley, finely chopped 2 sage leaves 100 gms pancetta, cubed 2 celery stalks, halved then sliced 2 carrots, sliced 3 potatoes, peeled 1 tsp tomato paste 3 roma tomatoes chopped or 400 gm tin chopped tomatoes 8 basil leaves 3 litres chicken or vegetable stock 2 zucchinis, sliced 220 gms shelled peas 120 gms green beans, cut into bite sized lengths 1/4 cabbage shredded 150 g small pasta 6 tablespoons pesto grated parmesian cheese

Method 1. Put the borlotti beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak overnight. 2 Next morning, drain and rinse thoroughly under water. 3. Melt butter in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic, parsley, sage and pancetta.  Cook over a low heat, stirring once or twice, for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and golden. 4. Add the celery, carrot and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, basil, and borlotti beans. Season with plenty of freshly ground pepper. 5.  Add stock and bring slowly to a boil.  Cover and leave to simmer for 2 hours stirring once or twice. 6.  If the potatoes have not broken up, roughly break them up with a fork against the side of the pan.  Taste for seasoning and add zucchini, peas, beans, cabbage and pasta.  Simmer until the pasta is al dente. 7.  Serve with a dollup of pesto and Parmesan. Source - Slow Cooking by Joanne Glynn

 

Szechwan Green Beans

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Ingredients4 tbsp Chinese sesame oil 1 kilo fresh green beans, trimmed 8 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp salt crushed red pepper to taste (optional)

Method 1.  Both the wok and oil should be hot, and the beans cooked quickly over high heat.  They will attain an indescribable texture, both crunchy and very tender at the same time.  Also try to hang in there with the full quantity of garlic.  the intense cooking heat will take the edge off it, leaving behind just the right amount of flavour. 2.  Place a medium-large wok or heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat.  After a minute, add the oil.  Wait a minute or so, and add the green beans.  Turn the heat to high and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until the beans are well seared. 3.  Add garlic and salt (and optional crushed red pepper). Stir-fry for several more minutes, then remove from heat. Source: Still Life with Menu – Mollie Katzen

Potato and Green Bean Salad

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Ingredients700 gms new potatoes, cut into cubes 300 gms green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon seeded Dijon mustard 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons chopped fresh lemon thyme or plain thyme zest from one lemon salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method 1. In a large saucepan, place the potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard, lemon zest, salt and cracked pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until combined. 3. Steam the beans until tender but still bright green. 4. Toss the potatoes and beans with the dressing to coat. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Vegetable Pesto Pasta

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This recipe works well with broccoli, carrots, green beans, peas and zucchini.  The carrots, zucchini and green beans can be pan fried in a little olive oil or butter or steamed and then added to the pasta when done.  The broccoli can either be steamed separately or added to the pasta when it is cooking.  If the peas are fresh, you can add them to the carrots right before removing from heat or add to the pasta water right before it is done. Ingredients 3 packed cups fresh basil leaves (removed from stems) 2 large cloves fresh garlic ½ cup pine nuts, walnuts, almonds or a combination ¾ cup (packed) fresh chopped parsley ¾ cup fresh-grated parmesan ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup melted butter salt to taste

Method 1. Begin cooking pasta of your choice. All pastas work well with pesto. 2. Combine all ingredients except cheese in a blender on low, then medium speed. Thoroughly work everything into smooth paste. You can also do this in a mortar and pestle. 3. At this stage, you can put portions into containers and freeze for the winter.  Add cheese, mixing gently to combine. 4. Combine cooked pasta, cooked vegetables, pesto and extra cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Moosewood Cookbook – Mollie Katzen