Fried Corona Beans with Kale-Lemon Pesto
Pan-fried and then tossed with a bright kale-lemon pesto, these crispy beans are incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked Corona beans (see method)
1 bunch Tuscan black kale
¾ cup Grana-style cheese
¾ cup toasted pecans
Zest and juice of 1-2 lemons
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch salt
Method:
1. To prep the pesto: Roughly remove stems from kale. Add kale to a pot of boiling water. Stir and cook about 45 seconds, then remove and rinse with cold water. Pick up kale with your hands and mold into a ball, squeezing out all the excess water. Set aside. In a food processor, add the lemon zest, juice, salt, nutmeg, garlic and pecans. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Add in the kale, and pulse while adding olive oil. Taste for salt and add more oil if it is too dry.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons additional olive oil to coat a large frying pan. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3-4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.
3. Add kale-lemon pesto to the beans and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve lightly sprinkled with additional Grana cheese.
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How-To: Cook Dried Corona Beans
A quick, how-to guide to prepping this week’s gorgeous oversized beans.
Ingredients:
½ pound Corona beans
1 small onion, peeled and cut in half
Sprig each of thyme and rosemary
3 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
Sea salt
Method:
1. Pick over the beans, discarding any misshapen beans and stones. Rinse the beans and drain. Place in a bowl, add water to cover generously and let soak overnight.
2. Drain the beans, place in a Dutch oven and add water to cover by 2 inches. Add the bay leaf, onion, fresh herbs and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the beans are soft, about 2 hours, checking the beans and adding more water as needed to keep the beans submerged. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Let the beans cool, then drain well. Yields about 6 cups cooked beans..
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Grilled Baby Artichokes with Lemon & Walnut Pesto
These petite grilled artichokes are a wonderful appetizer.
Ingredients:
6-8 baby artichokes
2 lemons, halved
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup F&L walnut pesto
¼ cup olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prep the artichokes, squeeze the juice from the halved lemons into a large bowl of cold water. Snap off the outer dark green leaves of the artichokes so that the pale greenish-yellow inner leaves are visible, then trim off the top half-inch of each artichoke and cut each in half. Using a small knife, cut out the choke and remove any prickly-tipped leaves from the center of the artichoke half. Drop each trimmed wedge into the lemon water as you go.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the artichokes and add to the boiling water. Boil until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer the artichokes to a rack to cool.
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, walnut pesto, olive oil, salt and pepper. Brush the artichokes with about half of the dressing, then grill until they are tender and lightly-charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer artichokes to a platter and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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White Bean Salad with Broccolini
This rustic white bean dish from Bon Appetit touts bold, assertive flavor, seasoned with lemon, garlic and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
½ bunch broccolini, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 15-ounce cans organic white cannellini beans
¼ cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Optional:
2 anchovy filets packed in oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add lemon, anchovies (if using), and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lemon is softened and brown in spots and anchovies fall apart, about 5 minutes.
2. Add broccoli; season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add beans and ½ cup water to pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and liquid is reduced by half (you still want it to be saucy), about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley and Parmesan. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired, and top with more Parmesan if desired.
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Fresh Cranberry Beans with Lemon & Olive Oil
A lovely supper side, these beautiful beans are also tossed with fresh herbs.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds fresh cranberry beans in pod
2 tablespoons salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
2 tablespoons combined chopped basil and parsley
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Shell beans. In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook beans with salt until tender and no longer mealy, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain beans and transfer to a bowl.
2. While beans are still warm, toss with remaining ingredients and season with salt. Serve salad warm or at room temperature.
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Summery Orzo & Corona Bean Salad with Arugula
This orzo salad is always a hit; feel free to swap your favorite summer produce in!
Ingredients:
1 cup orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 cup canned Corona beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
¼ cup each orange and red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups arugula greens
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3.tablespoons chives, snipped
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup currants, plumped in hot water and drained
Dressing:
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and garlic, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the cooked orzo and beans with the dressing. Let cool.
2. Add the remaining salad ingredients, tossing lightly to distribute evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This can be prepped up to a day in advance, though wait to add the arugula until just before serving.)
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Grilled Lacinato Kale Spread
This creamy spread from the new cookbook, Any Night Grilling, is delicious slathered on slices of grilled bread.
Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato kale
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
½ cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta
Rustic bread, such as this week’s Italian Rustica, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
Flaky sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high, then carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly-oiled paper towel.
2. In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then fold in the sheep’s milk cheese.
3. Working in batches, grill the kale leaves until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cool slightly. Use a knife to trim the thick ribs from each leaf, then finely chop the kale leaves. Fold into the yogurt mixture.
4. Grill the bread slices over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute per side. While still war, rub 1 side of each toast with the cut side of the garlic. Top each toast with a slather of creamy kale, drizzle with olive oil and top with flaky sea salt, then serve.
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Classic Red Beans & Rice
Slow-simmered with chicken stock, herbs and spices, these luscious red beans get an extra-flavorful kick from Andouille sausage.
Ingredients:
1 pound Rosita red beans
1 pound Andouille sausage, sautéed and sliced
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
½ cup celery, cut into ¼-inch cubes
4 cups chicken stock, plus 2 cups water
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon dried sage
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
Cooked long-grain jasmine rice, for serving
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Rinse and sort beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, red pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Rinse soaked beans, then transfer to a large pot with 4 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water. Stir sautéed vegetables into beans. Season with cayenne pepper (if using), paprika, thyme, sage, bay leaf and parsley. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for 2½ hours until the beans are just tender.
3. Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Once the beans and sausage mixture is ready, serve them over the steamed jasmine rice.
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Risotto with Fresh Fava Beans & Sugar Snap Peas
This bright risotto is tossed with mint and lemon zest for extra flavor.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh fava beans, peeled and blanched (see method)
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed of ends and blanched along with the fava beans
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cups Arborio rice
4-5 cups warm chicken stock
½ cup white wine (if desired)
½ shallot, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic
â…” cup freshly-grated Grana-style cheese
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons cultured buttered with grey sea salt
Method:
1. In a sauce pan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and then turn down to a simmer to keep hot. In another large saucepan over medium low heat, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and cook the shallots until soft but not brown. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 2 minutes.
3. Turn the heat up and add the Arborio rice to the pan with the shallots and garlic. Stir for about one minute. Add a ladleful of stock to the rice and continue stirring until almost absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock and the wine and continue stirring; repeat until the stock is almost gone and the rice is creamy and tender.
4. Stir in the clarified butter with sea salt and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then add the blanched peas and fava beans to the pan. Stir well and allow to heat through (the fava beans should be bright green and tender), then add the cheese, lemon zest and mint. Serve immediately
Variation: This risotto is also lovely topped with a poached or olive-oil fried egg.
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Southwest-Style Beans
These spicy beans pair wonderfully with your favorite meat or vegetable hot off the grill.
Ingredients:
1 pound Pinquito beans, or other dried bean of your choice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, preferably 1 green and 1 orange or red (for color), seeded and diced
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Set them aside and let them soak for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans, and then place them in a large pot. Add the garlic, bell peppers and the onions. Cover them with about an inch of water.
3. Next add the chili powder and cumin, plus a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans until tender, about 2 hours. Check the liquid level about halfway through the cooking process; if you’d prefer the beans to be less soupy, you can ladle off about a third of the cooking liquid.
Variation: For extra depth of flavor, add chopped chorizo sausage into the pot at the same time as the garlic, onions and peppers.
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