Party Favor: Quick White Bean Spread

Part of the reason for starting this effort twelve years ago was to have a place I could use to remember recipes I've made over the years. It's obviously grown beyond simply being a personal reference library, but it's still super useful when I need to quickly access my mom's grilled shrimp appetizer or that hot crab dip that never quite got copied into my card file.

One recipe that I keep going to the search bar to look for—that's what that little window on the left above the masthead is for—is an incredibly simple white bean spread that I came across eons ago from a source that's been lost to the mists of time. The problem is, I've never written it up here, but I keep thinking I have, so round and round I go in the little gerbil wheel of my brain. (Sorry, is that TMI…?)

It's handy for impromptu moments when the neighbors drop by for a glass of wine or friends ask you to bring an appetizer and you're running behind, since it whizzes up in the food processor in about five minutes. All you need to have on hand is a can of cannelini beans, capers and a clove of garlic and you're set—the raves that ensue will be crazily out of proportion to the work involved, but no one needs to know that besides you.

Herewith is the official, posted recipe so I never have to dash around the kitchen rummaging through files to find that recipe card ever again:

Tuscan-style White Bean Spread with Capers

1 15-oz. can cannelini beans, drained (or use 2 c. cooked white beans)
1 medium clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. capers
1-2 Tbsp. parsley, minced (optional)

Put beans, garlic, salt, thyme, lemon juice and olive oil in food processor and process until smooth. Using a spatula, scoop bean purée into medium-sized bowl and add capers and parsley. Stir to combine and adjust salt. Serve with bread or crackers.

Makes about two cups. (Can be doubled.)

Tomato Fever

Everybody's got the fever
That is somethin' you all know
Fever isn't such a new thing
Fever started long ago

- You Give Me Fever by Peggy Lee

Everybody's got their own favorite season for foods, whether it's meat braising on the stove, promising warmth and comfort after a day skiing in perfect powder or a pile of fresh fava beans in the spring, simply dressed with olive oil, mint and a shower of salt.

For me it's tomatoes, particularly the first of the summer's heirloom varieties, that I long for every year. With names like Purple Cherokee, Green Zebra and French Carmello, there's nothing like their cool, sweet, acidic bite, eaten out of hand right off the vine, sliced in a myriad of salads or simply chopped and spooned onto toasted bread.

This salad is perfect as a side with grilled meats, or could also be used for topping crostini for a cool, refreshing appetizer. With some chunks of oiled and grilled bread mixed in it makes a great panzanella, and you could add cucumber as well. Any tomatoes will work, but a mix of colors and shapes make it tastier and more fun.

Tuscan Tomato White Bean Salad
Adapted from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook and Read-N-Eat.com

2-3 c. diced tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
4-6 small cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. fresh basil, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 15-oz. cans (or 3 c.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Combine ingredients in a large salad bow. Toss gently to combine. Best made about an hour ahead of time so the garlic and herb flavors will meld.

Sides of Summer

Summer sides around here take the form of cool salads, whether made from potatoes, grains or, one of my favorites, the much-maligned legume. The mention of a bean salad causes most folks to think of those terrible three-bean salads from the grocery-store deli made from canned green and yellow beans, with canned kidney beans and a sickeningly sweet, oily dressing.

So when I ran across this recipe for a black and white bean salad that called for fresh corn, red onion and red pepper, it didn't even take the mention of the cumin vinaigrette dressing to bring me on board. Easy, tasty and ideal even for the vegans in attendance, this salad will be the star of your summer gatherings.

Black & White Bean Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette
Adapted from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

For the dressing:
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. olive oil

For the salad:
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained (or 8 oz. dried beans, cooked)
2 15-oz. cans cannellini or navy beans, drained (or 8 oz. dried beans, cooked)
1 red onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 15-oz. package frozen corn (or two ears corn, boiled and kernels cut off)
1/4 c. cilantro leaves, minced

Make the dressing by placing the vinegar, mustard, cumin, garlic, pepper and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Slowly pour in the olive oil while processing till mixture is emulsified.

In large salad bowl, combine all salad ingredients, pour the dressing over the top and stir gently. Best when refrigerated for at least one hour before serving.