Beneath a thatch of wilted dandelion greens, the Christmas lima beans spill out, earthy and enticing, their pretty speckled markings still visible after a few hours in the pot.
This is the brilliant architecture of a taco so tasty it might just replace carne asada in your dreams.
And if you cook the beans ahead, it’s a simple supper built with ease and grace.
Sauté dandelion greens or arugula in a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Then grill a stack of corn tortillas and stir a bowl of spicy salsa verde, and you have everything you need for dinner.
The beans have a wonderful texture, vaguely reminiscent of classic refried beans, yet with a nutty, almost meaty taste.
Beautiful contrast
Greens have a certain brightness that contrasts beautifully with shell beans.
The emerald leaves unfurl with possibilities while the beans, toothsome and earthy, seem to reference the ground they both came from.
Together, they create a balance — of flavours and textures, colours and temperatures.
As spring hits its stride, finding greens to experiment with has never been so much fun.
Sure, there are the classics, such as collards and mustard greens, kale and spinach, but take a quick walk through the farmers market stands and produce aisles and you’ll see small forests of delicate mache and mizuna, spicy arugula and dandelion greens.
A warm salad gets its inspiration from the southern pairing of black-eyed peas and mustard greens but takes a distinctly California turn with the addition of baby salad greens.
Cook black-eyed peas until tender (they’ll require less cooking time than other beans), then toss a generous amount of spicy mustard greens in the same pot that you’ve cooked some meat in.
The mustard greens will wilt down to a perfect texture in the meat fat. Then, in a large bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, wilted greens, meat and a few handfuls of fresh mache with a quick vinaigrette.
The soulful heartiness of the black-eyed peas and the meat-laced greens play off the freshness of the mache and the sweet acidity of the vinaigrette brings it all together.
Don’t listen to people
Despite what many people might tell you, you do not need to soak dried beans overnight — or even for a few hours.
Instead, cook a little mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots and celery) in olive oil, add a cup or so of dried beans and water to cover.
Bring the contents to a boil and cover; turn the heat to low and let the beans cook for about an hour and a half.
Throw in some salt about halfway through the cooking process and check to see if there’s still enough liquid. When the beans are tender, they’re done.
The savoury liquid that the beans generate when they cook, called pot liquor, carries different flavours depending on the beans —marrow beans are almost buttery; Christmas limas taste faintly of chestnuts —and these notes can get overwhelmed by the salty intensity of a rich meat or chicken stock.
For soup, try cranberry beans, which retain their shape and have a velvety texture.
And for a classic beans-and-greens matchup, add not only lacinato (curly) kale to the pot but also a handful of pretty orecchiette pasta.
Making of a meal
Reserve some cooked beans before you add the kale and purée them with a serious dose of smoked Spanish paprika.
Spooned over the finished soup, the spicy purée adds a lovely smoky finish.
A basket of greens, a hill of beans: With two humble components, you can triangulate a meal of dreams.
Black-eyed peas, mustard greens and meat salad
Ingredients:
- 3 tbs olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Scant 1 cup (6 ounces) black-eyed peas, dried
- 1 small bay leaf, dried
- 2 sprigs small thyme, fresh
- Salt
- 6 ounces meat, cut crosswise into strips about 1 inch by 1/4 inch
- 1 large bunch mustard greens, washed, stems removed and roughly cut (about 12 cups loosely packed)
- 2 tbs vinegar, preferably aged
- 4 slices of good-quality country white bread
- 2 cups mache
In a two-quart lidded soup pot or cast iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onions and garlic over medium-low heat until softened, for eight to ten minutes.
When the vegetables are soft, add the dried beans, bay leaf, thyme and enough water to cover (1-1/2 to 2 cups).
Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with the lid.
After about ten minutes, check the beans to make sure there’s enough water (add more if necessary; there should be enough liquid to cover) and add 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Continue cooking until tender, for about 20 more minutes (this might vary).
Take off the heat and set aside the beans. You should have about three cups of cooked beans.
While the beans are cooking, cook the meat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over low heat until the fat has rendered and the meat is crispy.
Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside; keep the pot on the heat.
In the same pot in which you cooked the meat, over medium heat, add the mustard greens, a little at a time, stirring constantly so they wilt.
Add all the greens and stir to coat. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the greens are wilted, dark green and very tender, for about eight to ten minutes. Take off the heat and set aside.
Toast or grill the slices of bread. In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar.
Add 3 cups of the cooked beans, the warm mustard greens, the meat and the mache.
Toss the salad together until combined, divide among four plates and top with a slice of toasted bread. Serve immediately.
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Each serving: 490 calories; 24g protein; 61g carbohydrates; 12g fibre; 18g fat; 4g saturated fat; 15mg cholesterol; 645mg sodium.
