Grilled Bread with Beans and Bitter Greens

Copyright 2007: Sizzle with America's Top Chefs

Recipe attributed to Joanne Weir

3/4 cup dried white, cannelloni, or navy beans, about 5 ounces
1 bay leaf
Large pinch of dried thyme
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch of Swiss chard, escarole, or beet or turnip greens
1/2 small yellow onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
6 to 8 large slices rustic country-style bread
2 cloves garlic, peeled

Pick over the beans and discard any stones. Cover with water and soak 8 hours or overnight. The next day, drain the beans and place them in a saucepan with the bay leaf, thyme, and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Over high heat, bring to a boil, and immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the skins crack and the beans are tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the beans, sage, half of the minced garlic, and the reserved cooking liquid. Cook, mashing occasionally, until the moisture evaporates and the mixture forms a paste, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Wash the greens well and spin dry. Remove the stems and cut leaves into 1-inch pieces. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over low heat and cook the onion until soft, 7 minutes. Add the greens and remaining garlic, and cook until wilted, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and vinegar.

Grill bread slices on an indoor or outdoor grill until toasted. Rub each side of toast with the 2 peeled garlic cloves. Spread beans on toasted bread and top with greens. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

(Michelle's note: There is no reason canned beans wouldn't work just as well here. Also, the bean spread will freeze nicely, ready to pull out and defrost as the start to a nice vegetarian lunch.)

Boulangerie Beans and Potatoes

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups cooked white beans, drained but still moist
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium russet or other high starch (baking) potatoes or all-purpose potatoes, peeled
1 cup vegetable stock (pages 101-102) or water
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 325. Stir a tablespoon of the thyme into the beans, taste, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the beans in a baking dish and set aside.

Halve the potatoes lengthwise and thinly slice into half-circles. Lay the potatoes in overlapping rows to cover the beans. Pour the stock over the top, dot with pieces of butter, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the remaining thyme.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is browned and glazed, another 45 minutes or so. Sereve immediately or let rest for up to an hour and serve at room temperature.

Boulangerie Beans and Potatoes with Leeks: Approaching elegance: Cook 2 cups chopped leeks in butter until very soft--almost melting--about 20 minutes. Top the beans with the leeks and then the potato slices.

White Bean and Tomato Casserole with Bread Crumb Topping

Copyright: Jack Bishop, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

1 1/2 cups Fresh Bread Crumbs (recipe follows)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained, with juices reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or sage leaves

For the Bread Crumbs:

Tear 4 1/2-inch-thick slices of stale country white bread (about 6 ounces) into a food processor and process until the crumbs are coarsely ground, about 1 minute. (This makes about two cups; reserve the extra for another use.)

For the Casserole:

1. Move an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler. Mix the bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and salt and pepper to taste together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, 1/2 cup reserved juice, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the juices thicken, about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.

3. Immediately transfer the bean mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the beans. Broil just until the beans are piping hot and the crumbs are deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (Watch carefully to prevent burning.) Let settle for several minutes and serve.

My notes: Instead of making this in a larger pan, I made two individual servings in ramekins. My thinking was that the portion we didn't eat wouldn't be very good the next day with soggy bread crumbs. I did cook the two portions for dinner as written under the broiler, but felt that the bottom of the bread crumb layer was lackluster. I toasted the remainder of the bread crumbs in a skillet, so that every bread crumb was toasted. That went much better over leftovers, and I would do it for the first serving were I to make this again. I would also add more seasoning to the bread crumbs; they were just too bland to really do anything for the dish.

Read more about this recipe here.