White Beans with Tomatoes, Greens and Pesto

Warning: slight grumpiness ahead.

I have pulled the wool leggings, fleece wraps and long, thick scarves out of the boiler closet and am planning on replacing them with my frilly summer whites this weekend.  This isn’t the kind of September I’m used to.  Last September in New Mexico, I’m sure it was still 80 F and sunny (and that’s at 7,500 feet altitude!).  In New York, it’s currently sunny and in the 70’s with off and on T-storms…and I’m devastated to see that tomorrow in my home town, the forecast is 81 and totally…sunny.  Humbug.

I don’t believe in complaining about the weather, especially when one moans about it being too cold until it’s hot, and then moans about the heat.  Complaining is great if you’re doing it to change something for the better – but unless we’re talking carbon cutting to curb global warming, you can’t change the weather!  Saying yes to the weather is a wonderful way to practice acceptance of all the other things in life that aren’t always perfect.  But it hasn’t been a good summer, even by British standards.  I’m verging on serious discontent, and beginning to understand why some people develop Seasonal Affective Disorder (aptly abbreviated ‘SAD’) in CERTAIN parts of the world (grumble).

So, when I went to my favorite food co-op today to buy produce, I looked around thinking, what has sun in it?  I picked some plump tomatoes and eggplants from Holland, pears from France and nearly overripe peaches from Spain.  Anything that had ripened above ground on a sun-loving plant, in places where summer begins and ends when it should, damn it.

I took them home and looked around.  A leek and some shallots were staring at me from the cupboard, needing to be used; garlic is heating, which I didn’t object to, given the state of my toes and fingers; there was peppery watercress from a local farm in the fridge; and so I cleaned out my vegetable reserves, Italian-style, with some white beans mixed in.

Red: a warm colour

It came out delicious, so I thought I’d share it with you.  I know many of you live in a part of the world where your farmer’s markets are at their peak, where you’re starting to actually look forward to the idea of a cool breeze and a cloud over the hot sun.  But if at some point you have a hard time waving a friendly hello to autumn, this dish might cheer you a bit.  As for me, I’ll just have to keep my chin up and my raincoat on.  I know where I live.

White Beans with Tomatoes, Greens and Pesto

Health notes: I’ve found that tomatoes aggrivate some stomachs, and Ayurveda doesn’t favour them, saying that they agravate all doshas due to their nightshade membership and highly acidic nature.  I do notice that if I’ve bitten my lip or have any cut in my mouth, they’re not pleasant to eat.  That being said, I think they’re better tolerated when not canned and cooked instead of raw.  I eat them this way on occasion without disturbance.  The leeks and shallots are stimulating, as is the pungent watercress, but I cook it to make it easier to digest and warm, instead of having it as a cold salad, which would do nothing for my circulation.  I used a favourite pesto recipe from “The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen” by Peter Berley: it’s vegan, using blanched ground almonds and lemon instead of cheese.  It’s totally delicious and fresh, and I don’t miss the parmesan a bit, but any pesto will do.

1 cup white beans (cannellini) (you can certainly use pasta instead if you prefer)
1/8 tsp asafoetida
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 small leek, white and part of the greens, washed for sand and sliced thinly
2 small shallots, diced
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp dried sage
dash of white wine or vinegar such as balsamic
3 medium tomatoes, cut in eighths
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 big Tbs of your favourite pesto
1 small bunch watercress (or rocket, arugula, spinach), chopped
5-10 fresh basil leaves if you have them, chopped fine
small handful of pine nuts, toasted in a pan or in the oven at about 350 F or 160 C for 5 – 10 minutes
optional parmesan cheese for garnish

not fancy, but very tasty and filling

Wash the beans and soak them overnight.  Put the beans and the asafoetida in a pressure cooker and cook until soft, 20 – 30 minutes.  Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet.  Add the cumin seeds and when they are fragrant, add the leek and shallots.  Stir to coat evenly in the oil and cook until tender, then add the dried sage and garlic.  As the pan gets a bit dry and a bit of flavourful brown coating begins to appear in the centre (I forget what this is called), add your white wine or vinegar to deglaze.  Add the tomatoes and stir well.  Cook them for about 5 minutes, until the skin is peeling away and they’re nice and soft.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well so that all flavours incorporate.  Add the beans and mix well again.  Garnish with pine nuts and cheese if you like.

p.s. Since the beginning of this post, I have been outside and the sun came out along with a nice warm breeze.  I was totally overdressed and ended up taking off my coat and scarf.  Irony noted!