Beananza-get it?

We had beans two ways for dinner tonight. (Insert bean joke here)
We made a salad with local beans, parsley, and radishes, topped with olives and capers. We served it on lettuce and ate it with warm tortillas. It turned out great. I am waiting for global warming to bring some olives up to Oregon. Bean #2 was a jar of spicy dill pickled green beans that we made last summer according to my grandmother's recipe. They are amazingly crunchy after many months in a jar. Last year we spent a lot of time and energy and ended up with a whole 4 jars. This year I want to can a huge batch.



Last night we used the "Chinese Broccoli", which seems to be a lot like broccoli rabe, in a pasta with chili flakes, garlic, and random leftover cheeses. At the end, you squeeze a little lemon on top. Credit for the recipe goes to Debbie again. Orecchiette pasta is shaped like little ears and is cute and tasty. I think pasta dishes are great for broccoli rabe because their bitterness gets balanced out. Having a bunch of it alone can taste too strong.

Tomorrow: Panini

Coming soon to a dinner table near you

Today Max went to my grandparents' house and scouted the "back forty" where the yearly garden will be planted as soon as the ground is dry enough to be tilled. We were inspired to buy some kale and garlic starts to plant along the edges of our allotted garden bed. Baby plants are the cutest. We also picked up bean, pea, lettuce, basil, and squash seeds. We'll start them on the deck in whatever random containers we can find and then transplant them when the garden is ready. We can't grow much to full size on the deck, since it gets about as much sun as my belly. (Not a lot.)



As for the forgotten broccoli rabe, its flowers opened and it got a bit yellow. Perhaps it was punishing us for our neglect. Max cooked up the good parts, and we dressed it with a lemon-shallot vinaigrette. It was really bitter, which hopefully didn't mean that it had turned poisonous. Still tasty, though, in an elderly cruciferous vegetable kind of way.