White Bean & Radish Salad
A wonderful use for leftover beans from this week’s main dish.
Ingredients:
1½ cups white beans, such as cannellini or Matera Perline, fully cooked
¼ cup fresh tarragon, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4-6 radishes, trimmed of greens and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 large lemon
¼ cup high-quality olive oil
Sea salt
Gruyère cheese bread, sliced
Method:
1. Rinse beans, then toss into a large mixing bowl along with parsley, shallots and radishes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil, seasoning well with salt.
3. Toss dressing with salad ingredients. Sprinkle with a little more sea salt. Serve with sliced bread and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Matera Perline Beans with Green Garlic Scapes & Pea Vines
Also topped with Italian sausage, this hearty dish is still incredibly light and flavorful.
Ingredients:
1½ cups Vero Matera Perline Beans, soaked overnight in a large pot of water, and drained
1 bay leaf
½ pound Skagit River Ranch Italian sausage (optional)
½ pound pea vines, trimmed of any tough ends
4 green garlic scapes, trimmed of ends and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Parmesan cheese, for grating
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Rinse the beans and transfer them to a large saucepan. Add the bay leaf and 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until nearly tender, about 1½ hours. Season the beans with salt and simmer until they are tender, but still hold their shape, about 45 minutes longer.
2. Meanwhile, if using, cook sausage in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, breaking up into small pieces. Once cooked through, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add olive oil to the same pan, then add pea vines and green garlic scapes, season with salt and pepper, and briefly sauté, about 1-2 minutes, until vines are tender and scapes are fragrant.
3. Add beans to pan with pea vines and scapes, then add back in Italian sausage and butter, lightly tossing everything together. Season with salt and pepper as needed and topped with fresh-grated cheese.
