Posh Beans On Toast

I had the remains of those Incredible Smashed Peas & Fava Beans on toast for lunch yesterday, and man, they knocked my socks off!  That is totally the best way to eat them.  You really get the flavour of the cheese & garlic loud and clear, and the colour is vibrant.  I had a few strange looks yesterday at work, that's for sure.  Sadly, not one person who asked me about my lunch was familiar with the term "pesto".  But they got a quick lesson.  ;)

 

So, continuing on with my "beans on toast" theme, this morning I decided to cook up a batch of Jamie's Humble Home-Cooked Beans (aka the first recipe I ever blogged), using some fresh cranberry beans I picked up at the farmer's market.  So I popped out the back door while it was still dark, grabbed some fresh rosemary & thyme, and added them to the pot with a couple of cloves of garlic, a few cherry tomatoes, and a couple of dried bay leaves.  I covered the works with water, brought it to the boil, and put a lid on it for about 45 minutes to simmer. 

 

 

 

 

Once drained, I removed the herbs and tomato skins, and mashed the garlic with a few of the beans.  Then I dressed them with olive oil & red wine vinegar and seasoned with salt & pepper.  I have previously done another variation of these called Creamy Beans With Fresh Crab and Chili, but this time I wanted something easy that I could assemble at work. 

 

294.  Warm Bread and Bean Salad (Jamie At Home, page 126)

 

 

 

 

Good quality bread, dressed tomatoes, and basil.....pretty easy lunch!  I put my beans in a container to be reheated later.  Bread in a ziploc bag, a couple of diced tomatoes in another ziploc bag, along with some fresh basil (yep, still dark out).  A lug of oil and a swig of balsamic in the tomato bag, with salt and pepper.  When I got to work, I toasted the bread, tore it up, combined it on a plate with my dressed tomatoes and basil, and topped it with the microwaved beans.

 

 

So......what are you having for lunch today?

This post has been linked to the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up at Gastronomical Sovereignty!