One thing that we have started doing recently at our weekly Greenmarket is letting each family member choose a “secret ingredient”. That means that you can pick anything-anything-that you are drawn to for any reason. When we get home, we discuss the special foods that we chose and start thinking about how we might make a meal with them*.
This week, I chose a very special ingredient: cranberry beans. Who couldn’t be intrigued by their mottled pinkish-purplish markings? We had family friends coming over for dinner, and they called to let us know that they were bringing their own special ingredient, magic beans…magic purple beans.
I have fond memories of shelling beans and peas on Georgia days-not with my own grandmother but with my cousin’s grandmother, the appropriately named Mrs. P. We would all sit on her back steps and shell away in the shade. Since my own family bought things only at the supermarkets, getting to shell and hang out talking about food and hearing stories from Mrs. P about her youth, about her children, about a time gone by was something I longed for more in my life. It was quite a gift that she gave both me and my cousin, this time together just sitting and shelling.
When our guests arrived on Wednesday, we set them right to work, shelling these heirloom beans with Mama Kristen. After they shelled them, the children took their commission, a few cranberry beans to load up in the back of their trucks, zoom around, and dump out of the back. Sound effect: explosive laughter. Every single time.
Cranberry Bean, Magic Purple Bean, and Snap Pea Salad
For the dressing:
* one small shallot, minced
*the juice of one lemon
*1 T. honey
*1 T. balsamic vinegar (red or white wine vinegar would be nice, too)
*1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
*pinch of salt
*freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
*2 c. fresh cranberry beans (about 2 lbs. beans in the pod)
*1 c. magic purple beans (or regular green or wax beans)
*1 c. snap peas
*one small shallot, minced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 T olive oil
*1 T. butter
*one head of butter lettuce, washed and patted dry
To make the dressing, have your mini-chef pour all of the ingredients into a jar. Secure the lid and shake shake shake. Shake again just before dressing the salad.
Shell all the cranberry beans and snap the little ends off of the purple beans and the snap peas.
Big Person: In a small saucepan, bring some water to a boil. Add the cranberry beans and simmer for a few minutes till al dente. Drain the beans and set aside.
Warm the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Saute the cranberry beans, snap peas, purple beans, shallots, and a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper together. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Remove from the heat, and immediately slide into a bowl or onto a plate. Toss with half of the dressing.
To serve over the butter lettuce, pour the rest of dressing over the lettuce, top with the bean mixture, and toss. (We served the bean mixture without the butter lettuce to the children, and the entire salad to the adults.)
*The kids chose apples and apricots this week. We put together a special crumble to serve to our guests with these ingredients plus some peaches that we had left over from making jam.
