Fagioli Con Limone – Amazing Green Beans

green beans in egg lemon sauce

We got summer’s first green beans in our CSA share last week; we tend to get a lot of green beans (and purple beans and yellow beans) in our share each season.  Sadly, wasting them – meaning, letting them rot in the fridge – inevitably happens because we get so, so many each summer.  This year, I’m determined to not waste any.

There are some simple and delicious ways out there to cook green beans: sautéing them with garlic, ginger, and a little naturally fermented soy sauce, topped with Sriracha; incorporating them into omelet; and simply eating them raw in salads.

But I have one way to cook them that makes them really special; it elevates the simple green bean to something truly amazing.

boiling beans

I discovered this method several years ago, and rediscovered it while perusing my cookbooks last week.  After making it mid-week, I was reminded why I love this dish – it holds a wonderful combination of summery, earthy green flavors lent by the beans in a silky lemony egg sauce, almost like they are in a warm lemony aioli.  The green beans also take on my favorite texture – fork tender. It’s really easy to make, too.  And it’s full of good fat and protein from the pastured eggs and butter.

beans and lemon egg mixture

I find it’s easy to down a half pound of beans when cooked like this.  In fact, I had to restrain myself from eating them all the other night, so that I could save some for lunch the next day. They were terrific as leftovers.

I’ll be making this all summer, I believe.  I doubt there will be any wasted green beans, too!

Fagioli Con Limone
from The Vegetarian Table: Italy

1/2 pound string beans, ends trimmed, preferably organic
2 tsp kosher salt or coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
1 tbs unsalted butter (I used raw butter)
2 small eggs, preferably pastured
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (not from a bottle)
grated zest of 1/2 small lemon
freshly milled black pepper

In a saucepan bring enough water to cover the beans generously to a rolling boil. Add the beans and 2 tsp salt. Cook until tender, 6-7 minutes, then drain well.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the drained beans to the butter, toss to coat, and cover the pan to keep them hot. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs, and then beat in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and pepper to taste. Add the egg mixture to the hot beans and stir quickly with a wooden spoon. To prevent the eggs from curdling, keep the pot over the lowest possible heat, or place a flame tamer over the burner. As soon as the sauce thickens, remove the pot from the flame.

Serve hot.

CSA Bounty – Week Five

hot distribution

Well, this week brought searing heat, wilted CSA members, and serious summer vegetables and fruit!  Peaches, apricots, and plums scream “summer” to me.

peaches

plums and apricots

All the fruit has been fantastic eaten out of hand.  It would make good sorbet, too.

The vegetable I was most excited about was the fava beans.  I look forward to them every year.

fava beans

I think they are gorgeous pods, but the beans inside are even more fantastic. I shell them and then remove each bean’s outer covering, throw them into a pan containing a little hot olive oil, and cook them till they start to brown a bit.  Sometimes I cook them with onions.   Then I eat them with fleur de sel on top.  Perfection!

We got more greens – butter lettuce and curly cress.  Not much to do with them except make a salad, which I did.

butter lettuce

cress

We also got fennel – I’ll probably braise it.

fennel

Oh, and spring onions!

spring onions

And peas! Shelling peas – I made a tasty salad with them that involved mint and dates (recipe to come).

shelling peas

Lastly, we got zucchini, which was a surprise! I chose 5 perfect medium sized squash, which I will make zucchini fritters out of this weekend. I’ll probably grate whatever is left and freeze it for zucchini bread.

zucchini

So much great produce!  I just love my CSA.

Quincy Farm

Early on in the life of my CSA, before it became volunteer-run, it was overseen by a woman named Cara Fraver.  Cara was an AmeriCorps VISTA member and worked with JustFood to get our CSA off the ground.  Originally the CSA was called the Ravenswood CSA, as it was located at the Ravenswood Houses.  Cara was terrific in the role of managing the CSA, and her dedication to it was part of why the CSA has become quite a success.

After a few years, she left the area and moved upstate, where she learned about farming, working on a number of local farms in her area.  Recently I learned that she wants to start farming on her own, with her partner Luke.  She has the name – Quincy Farm – and some startup capital, but no land.  She’s looking for some.  If you can help her, please contact her.

Good luck, Cara!  You’re amazing!

on the farm

New Leaf Cafe

new leaf cafe

Last month for Valentine’s Day, my guy suggested we celebrate with brunch at the New Leaf Cafe in Manhattan. New Leaf Cafe is the little restaurant in Fort Tryon Park near The Cloisters, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum dedicated to art and architecture of the Middle Ages. It’s a lovely setting.

The Cafe is managed by the New York Restoration Project, founded by Bette Midler in the mid-1990s. While cleaning up the park, she and her friends came upon this little stone building from the 1930s, and decided it would be good as a restaurant. Within a few years, the New Leaf Cafe opened for business.

I had been to the Cafe years ago and had happy memories of that time – strong coffee and delicious chocolate cherry bread pudding.  I had just enjoyed a walk through the park and a brief stop in the Cloisters, with my friend Jo and her young daughter.  We wanted a little something to eat, the place was crowded hardly at all.

cafe on the hill

For brunch, though, it was packed.  Unfortunately, they don’t take reservations for brunch, so it’s best to show up as early as possible and put your name on the list.  We got there at 11:45 a.m. and were told we’d have an hour wait.  Fortunately, it ended up only being a 30 minute wait.

What I didn’t know is that the New Leaf Cafe is a sort of locavore/farm-to-table restaurant, which thrilled me!  The meats, eggs, and dairy come from within 100 miles, and come from humanely-raised, pastured animals.  Most everything was organic.  And best of all, it was fantastically delicious.

I ordered two eggs served over smoked mozzarella and roasted tomatoes and sausages.  He ordered a burger made from grass-fed beef.  So, so good.  I didn’t take any pictures during our meal; it was more important to focus on the taste of the food, the beautiful surroundings, and each other.

The beautiful space contains simple lines, lots of wood, and it reminds me a little of a combination of the spaces at Greens in San Francisco (the openness) and Chez Panisse in Berkeley (the wood and lines). Our server was wonderful as well, being helpful when needed, an being attentive without overbearing. She smiled and laughed a lot, too.

They do take reservations for meals other than brunch, thank goodness.  Do yourself a favor and have a meal at the New Leaf Cafe.  It will be a delicious and beautiful experience.

New Leaf Cafe in greener times.

Photo Credit: (cc) Susan NYC via a Creative Commons license on flickr.