BOILED

Our starting point for preparing legumes and grains in this book is boiling in an abundance of water until tender, draining the liquid away, and then using that ingredient as the base for any number of meals. Ingredient + boiling + other stuff = dinner. Beans are no different, and by boiling a big pot full of beans simply, you can then use the beans in any number of different dishes throughout the week. Similarly, most dishes can be thought of as an equation: This + this + this = delicious. What this is changes with the seasons or what you have on hand. For me, that Flavor Formula is: Start with 2 cups [400 g] of boiled beans (either warm or cool, up to you) + a vegetable (as much as you want) + fat (because it makes it satisfying and most micronutrients are fat-soluble, so it helps your body absorb them better) + an acidic relish or dressing + something crunchy for texture = the hearty bean salad of your dreams. The Flavor Formula coming up gives some suggestions, but there’s no need to follow to the letter. Cook beyond the page and come up with your own combinations. Cooking most grains and legumes by boiling is as simple as boiling a handful of pasta. Beans are no different. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil, add the beans, turn down to a simmer, and boil until tender. When the beans are tender, add some salt to flavor the pot (adding it beforehand has the potential to toughen the beans). Adding some aromatics to the boiling liquid will add flavor, but it isn’t necessary to achieving flavorful results. Soaking the beans overnight will cut cooking time in half. Using freshly dried beans also decreases cooking time and often minimizes the need to soak at all. When cooking with dried fava beans, the outside hull may still be in place. If it is, soak or boil the beans for 3 minutes, then peel away the outer skin. You can leave the skin on, but be forewarned it can take 2 to 21/2 hours to fully tenderize the bean skin. Most canned fava beans have already been peeled.

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Step 1

TO SERVE

Step 2

Toss the cooked broccolini and boiled beans together and then transfer to a serving platter, dot the tuna mayo all over, top with several spoonfuls of the lemon parsley mojo, and finish with a scattering of za’atar.

Step 3

Heap boiled beans on a serving platter, top with the roasted asparagus, spoon the gribiche all over, and finish with a handful of toasted sunflower seeds.

Step 4

Toss grilled green beans and boiled beans together with a spoonful of harissa, then transfer to a serving platter. Crumble feta all over and finish with dots of olive rig.

Step 5

Toss the boiled beans with grilled peppers, fresh tomatoes, and giardiniera and transfer to a serving platter. Dot the citrus ricotta all over and then finish with a flurry of garlic bread crumbs.