Bean Dish and Garden


Whenever I find a bean recipe that I like, I add it to a favorites list to rotate into my meal planning. In general, I find beans very bland and I have tried many recipes that I didn't care for. Here is one I made tonight that is a keeper (now I have 3 all together LOL). I never measure so these are the ingredients "to taste":

2 Cups of white beans, soaked overnight
Cook in 1 qt of chicken broth with fresh finely chopped oregano and basil, garlic and onion powder, a bay leaf
and 1/2 chopped onion (sautee first)

When beans are tender, drain and save cooking juice. Let cool.
Add whatever fresh veggies you have on hand, all of these were from my garden- I had a green pepper, a handful of peas, a small handful of green beans (I blanched first), a tomato, and celery (Yes, you can grow celery it just is smaller and leafier than what you buy at the store)

Dressing: I filled a pint jar with 1/3 Olive Oil and 2/3 Red Wine Vinegar. I added garlic and onion powder (I am out of fresh garlic or I would have added this), cumin, fresh chopped oregano and basil, and salt

I combined beans, the veggies, some Kalamata olives, and dressing. Then put it in the fridge.

I cooked brown rice with the cooking juice from the beans.

When it was time to serve, I added chopped parsley, green onions, and nasturtium flowers (anything that you wouldn't want to wilt in dressing) and lots of feta.

I served on rice but it would be as a side with chicken.

The meal did not take much time to prepare but I had to be organized - soak the beans overnight, cook them during the morning, pick the veggies and assemble at lunch, refridgerate, cook rice and let cool in the afternoon, then just add the final veggies and feta right before serving and voila!


The children have dwarf sunflowers blooming in their garden beds. Beautiful!


I would like to make pickles out of you! Can you believe I transplanted this the other day.

Hello chicken!
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