Spring White Beans

Thank you for joining me in the kitchen today. It’s such a delight to connect in real time. Please don’t be shy about asking questions (I truly love them) and requests for recipes you’re dreaming about.

The nettle tea I love to use when I can’t get fresh nettles is this one from The Healing Plant. The other company I mentioned is Rose Mountain Herbs.

Look out for the giveaway on Tuesday.

Until then have a wonderful weekend and THANK YOU for your support.

Amy, ox

P.S.

The ingredient links again—just so they are here should you need to order….you can also find the full recipe below too.

Here in the U.S., I love Rancho Gordo for corona beans . In this video I used their large lima beans and they were sweet and delicious.You can order them online but you can also find them in many stores.

I get traditionally made umeboshi vinegar from Eden Foods. Most good health food shops stock it. If you don’t have any and want to make this, use lemon or red wine vinegar and extra salt to taste.

Spring White Beans

1 ½ cups corona beans, soaked overnight in plenty of filtered water

2-inch strip kombu

1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil

Sea salt

1 medium leek, cleaned and sliced

3 radishes, quartered and sliced

2 medium carrots, sliced in ¼ inch slices (I peeled mine)

½ bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed, stems cut in 1/2 inch slices (leave tips whole)

2 teaspoons umeboshi vinegar, divided, plus more to taste

¼ cup chopped dill

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small garlic clove, crushed or grated on a microplane zester

Fresh black pepper to serve

Drain and rinse beans and add to a pressure cooker with kombu and enough water to cover beans by about 2-inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, lock lid in place and bring up to high pressure. Reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes or until evenly cooked and creamy inside. Remove from heat, allow pressure to come down completely, remove lid, compost kombu, add a large pinch of salt and gently stir. Set aside.

Warm ghee or oil in a wide sauté pan (one with high sides is good) over medium heat. Add leek, radishes, carrot and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender but not cooked through. Add beans, half a cup of bean cooking liquid (I like to use the creamier liquid at the bottom of pot) and asparagus. Return to a simmer, cover pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of the umeboshi vinegar. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl combine dill, mint, olive oil, garlic and remaining teaspoon of vinegar and stir to combine. Add half of the oil-herb mixture to the beans and stir. Season to taste with extra vinegar and salt if needed. Drizzle remaining oil-herb mixture over the beans, add a few turns of black pepper and serve. Anything left over can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.