Beans, they way I remember Tuscany

As part of my job at the Tel Aviv covered market, located a convenient 10 minutes cycle from my abode, I'm lucky enough to be surrounded with local and global, seasonal and random produce, all on a weekly, if not daily, basis. So much so that my trips to the supermarket have narrowed down to purchasing toilet paper, flour and sugar, and yes, also on those rare midnight cravings for an onion, a bell pepper, or a chocolate bar a supermarket has come in handy and to my aid, along with its bright and flickering fluorescent lighting.

White asparagus, purple basil, onion blossoms and fresh turmeric root have all become viable ingredients, and how easy they make it indeed, to forget that on a scale, between commodity and luxury, they tilt heavily towards the luxury corner.

I treat them like a bright red lipstick; not for everyday use but on occasion yes, that extra touch of glamour goes that extra step and, well, designer clothing will dig a far bigger hole in my bank account.

So I there’s my justification for adding a little glamour to the kitchen in the form of asparagus or a perfectly reduced version of a pineapple that was raised with whispers of love and strokes of affection.

I do, however, always return to the comforts of comfort, because as much as those heels are drop dead sexy, snickers will forever be more comfortable. A dense, thick-crusted bread with salted butter, rice topped with a poached egg and a bowl of hearty stew with added shaved parmesan are more then enough to satiate the hunger within. One such dish is this bowl of beans, cooked as I learned in Florence not too long ago, but now long gone.

Tuscany is known for the freshness of its beans when in season and this dish truly captures the effortless red lipstick of food, with a quintessential heavy Italian Acc-a-cent.

Beans, they way I remember Tuscany

Roughly based and heavily adapted from a recipe published in Jamie Oliver's Jamie’s Italy

serves 4

500g dried or fresh Borlotti beans (cannelloni, butter or zolfini beans will work too)

1 potato, peeled

2 ripe tomatoes, crushed

½ bulb of garlic

A bunch of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage and bay leaves)

Extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce:

3-4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

3-4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3-4 sage leaves

1 green chilli, chopped finely

Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. If using dried beans soak overnight in a large bowl covered with cold water. Drain and rinse.
2. In a large saucepan, place the beans, potato, crushed tomatoes. Garlic and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil, place over the heat and bring to a boil.
3. Skim any froth from the surface and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, until the beans are soft and tender.
4. Drain the beans, discarding of the all but 1 cup of the cooking water. Set aside.
5. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot fry the green chilli for a few seconds, then stir in the garlic, sage leaves and tomato chunks. Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes have come apart into a thick sauce. Pour the cup of cooking water and bring to a gentle boil. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Stir in the cooked beans and add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
7. Drizzle olive oil and serve.

Summer Salmorejo

The heat and humidity capture the essence of what July means. It is the downside to ripe red tomatoes, sweet grapes, and quivering lychees. Cool and refreshing, summer has pushed me into a raw food eating corner.

I was first introduced to Salmorejo on the eve of the Eurovision contest finale last year. We had a gathered for a viewing and each came bearing a national symbol, for an international buffet. The UK was cucumber sandwiches, Japan- sushi, the US - chocolate chip cookies, boiled peanuts and an OTT whipped cream layer cake. Elisa brought the Salmorejo; a cold tomato soup, it is related to Gaspacho, but is thicker, and made using only tomatoes and commonly served with chopped up hard-boiled egg and jamon Serrano sprinkled on top.

I am preparing the soup on a hot day, standing in the kitchen and sweating as my thoughts drift to quantum physics and I cannot help but ponder where is my life heading, what the future holds and is it all coming together or falling apart. This is all about the tomatoes. No mediators, no obstructions or distractions of any kind. Only fragrant ripe sweet tomatoes with a hint of garlic and the juiciness of cold pressed olive oil.

The original recipe did not ask for it but I peeled the tomatoes before I added them, which resulted in a bonus by-product; crisp tomato skins.

Update: just cooked a wad of oven dried, then lightly fried okra in the Salmorejo and served it on a bowl of fluffy white rice. A drizzle of whole sesame tahini on top and every day can transform to a holy day.

Salmorejo

This recipe was adapted from Casa Moro, the second cookbook.

(Serves 4)

2 garlic cloves

1 kg sweet ripe tomatoes, peeled (instructions below) and halved

100g white bread, crust removed, roughly crumbled

10 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs good quality sweet red wine or balsamic vinegar

Smoked paprika, hot or sweet, to taste

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground whit pepper, to taste

To serve:

2 eggs

finely chopped Jamon Serrano (optional)

To peel the tomatoes:

Using a sharp knife, lightly score the base of the tomatoes with a small "X" shaped cut.

Plunge the tomatoes in a pan of boiled water for no longer the 10-15 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the water and carefully peel away the skins with your fingers. Keep the skins in a small bowl and set aside for the crisps (recipe below).

Crush the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a god pinch of salt until you have a smooth paste.

Using an emulsifier of a food processor puree the tomato halves and bread until completely smooth.

With the machine still running add the garlic and slowly pour in the olive oil. When the oil has combined, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the vinegar, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste.

The consistency of the soup should be like that of an apple puree. Add some water if necessary.

Place the bowl in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.

To make the hard boiled eggs place them in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by about 1cm. Bring the water up to simmering point, and put the timer on for 7 minutes.

Cool the eggs rapidly under cold running water; let the cold tap run over them for about 1 minute, then leave them in cold water till they're cool enough to handle.

Set aside.

Before serving peel the eggs and chop finely.

Just before serving check the seasoning once more, then ladle the soup into 4 bowls and sprinkle with chopped egg on top.

You can also use this soup as a sauce for grilled aubergines or as a pizza base.

Bonus

Piquant tomato skin crisps

These are great as a light snack or sprinkled above salads or rice.

Left over tomatoes skins

Extra virgin olive oil

Smoked paprika, hot or sweet, to taste

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground whit pepper, to taste

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 100°C.

Spread the tomato skin on the parchment, arranged in a single layer.

Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle the sea salt, ground pepper and smoked paprika.

Bake for 1 - 1½ hours and allow to cool completely.

The crisps will keep in an airtight container for several days.

Note: You can also play around with the seasoning. Try using balsamic vinegar or soy sauce.