Tuscan Beans and Greens - The Source of My Comfort and Joy
All of us have rules of the road when we travel.You will not get there any faster by refusing to let a car in front of you. The driver gets to select the music. And if there is a Cracker Barrel within a 15 mile radius, you must stop.
I'll admit that most of the food at Cracker Barrel, the chain that specializes in "country" food, is mediocre at best, but I never pass up an opportunity to eat their beans and greens. It's not just comfort; it's comfort and joy. I top my Cracker Barrel white beans with pickle relish and a chopped white onion. Then I crumble my corn bread into the savory, pork-flavored greens. I'm in beans and greens Heaven.
Growing up in West Virginia, a bowl (or two or three) of navy beans cooked with ham hocks was one of my favorite meals. Daddy always said that's why I grew so tall, and he could be right. Beans, dense in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. Pair that with a nutrient-dense dark, leafy vegetable, and we're talking power lunch.
It's no wonder that beans and greens have jumped off the menus of humble diners and country homes and onto the entree or appetizer course of some of the country's chicest restaurants. On one of my trips to San Francisco last summer, friends Mary, Kim and I discovered a rustic Tuscan version at Bar Bambino, a hip, happening Mission District Italian restaurant. (Bar Bambino is even featured in the October issue of Gourmet Magazine.)
The greens were swiss chard, sauteed in garlic and onions, and the beans were cannellini. After one bite, I thought, "Where have you been all my life. I could eat you every day."
When I came home and discovered this dish is both delicious and EASY to prepare, I started making it on a regular basis. I prepared a batch of Tuscan Beans and Greens for my lunch today. (If it was dinner, I would have paired it with a nice crisp glass of Pinot Grigio.)
Start with a bunch of swiss chard. I cut out the tough stem that runs the length of the leaf.Chop roughly, one inch across.
Saute' garlic and white onion in about two tablespoons of olive oil. If you like some heat, throw in some hot red pepper flakes.
Add the chopped chard and stir. Saute' for a few minutes, add a fresh chopped tomato, and then turn flame to low and cover for about five minutes. Add a can of cannellini beans (drained) and heat through. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
I purchased my beans at the same place where I buy my Swiss chard, Lake Ave Produce in Pasadena. $1.49 for the chard and .99 for the beans made a delicious lunch, enough for two, for $2.48. What I really need to do is start growing my own chard. (I subsequently found this same brand at another Pasadena Armenian Market for .79)
Bar Bambino served this dish as an appetizer with crostini, but I like to make it my main dish.
Saute' garlic and white onion in about two tablespoons of olive oil. If you like some heat, throw in some hot red pepper flakes.
Add the chopped chard and stir. Saute' for a few minutes, add a fresh chopped tomato, and then turn flame to low and cover for about five minutes. Add a can of cannellini beans (drained) and heat through. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
I purchased my beans at the same place where I buy my Swiss chard, Lake Ave Produce in Pasadena. $1.49 for the chard and .99 for the beans made a delicious lunch, enough for two, for $2.48. What I really need to do is start growing my own chard. (I subsequently found this same brand at another Pasadena Armenian Market for .79)
Bar Bambino served this dish as an appetizer with crostini, but I like to make it my main dish.
This dish meets all my criteria for a great meal: Easy, delicious, nutritious and beautiful. (Click on photo for a closer look.)
Is there any more left?
How do you prepare your beans and greens?
