Like so many of my recipes, this one was inspired by a visit to Stoney’s market, my go-to farm market, as it’s the closest to our home, the staff is very friendly and the atmosphere appealing, it’s open every day, and the produce, mostly grown across the street, is beautiful and delicious.
I purchased a bag of shelled Lima beans, but I just couldn’t get excited about eating them whole. So I thought of a puree, but the mild creaminess of the beans would need something to brighten them up in terms of color and flavor. For flavor, lemon zest and a little tarragon did the trick. For color–since red and green are complementary on the artist’s color wheel–a rustic heirloom tomato sauce seemed the perfect pairing. The end result is as pretty as a picture.
Lima Bean Puree:
1 1/4 pounds of shelled fresh beans (not dried), rinsed and drained
2 generous teaspoons powdered veggie base or bouillon cubes
Pinch sea salt
1/3-1/2 cup water in which beans were cooked
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 tablespoon fresh minced
Zest of 1 large lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Place beans in a 2-quart saucepan and barely cover with water. Add veggie base and salt. Loosely cover and place over medium-high heat. When simmering, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain beans reserving 1/2 cup liquid (and the remainder for another purpose). In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade process beans with 1/3-1/2 cup reserved liquid, salt, garlic, and olive oil until smooth. Add tarragon and lemon zest and pulse a few times. Check for seasoning and adjust with additional sea salt, if needed, and black pepper. Reheat in the microwave if necessary. Note: After the leftover puree sat in the refrigerator over night, it stiffened considerably. So, I incorporated some of the reserved bean liquid into the puree to restore its creaminess before reheating.
Tomato Sauce Rustica:
You can be very “approximate” with these measurements, as you can’t go wrong!
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium tomatoes (preferably heirloom), cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
Pinch sea salt
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons snipped chives
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add tomatoes, garlic and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and garlic begins to turn golden. Reduce heat if necessary. Add wine and simmer 2-3 more minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in chives and remove from heat. Serve warm over warm Lima bean puree.
For 150+ additional seasonal recipes not on this website, I invite you to explore The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.
