Catholic and Enjoying It!
Today, my shuffling hordes, I recoil in horror at the discovery that quite a number of you actually like lima beans. There’s no explaining the mind of the mindless, I guess. However, as a perfect penance for Advent I offer the following, courtesy of one of my readers:
Baby Lima Bean and Spinach Gratin
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub the bottom and all sides of a 6-cup gratin dish with:
· 1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
· Olive oil
In a pressure cooker, combine:
· 1 ¼ cups dried baby lima beans, sorted, soaked and rinsed
· enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch.
Cook at full pressure (15 pounds) for 25 minutes. Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid for a soup base, if desired. Transfer the beans to a medium mixing bowl.
Wash and drain:
· 2 pounds fresh spinach, thick stems removed
Put this into a large pot with any water that clings to it. Cover the pot and steam the spinach over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until wilted. Drain the spinach and chill under cold running water. Using your hands, squeeze the spinach until it is almost dry, then transfer it to a cutting board and chop. Add the chopped spinach to the beans and set it aside.
In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, warm:
· 4 tablespoons olive oil
Add:
· 1 onion, diced
· 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
· Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sauté for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes until the onion is lightly caramelized. Remove from the heat and stir into the bean mixture.
Toast:
· 1 slice sourdough bread
until lightly browned. Remove the crust and pound the bread into crumbs in a mortar or grind in a food processor. Combine the breadcrumbs with:
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Season the bean and spinach mixture with:
· 1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
and add additional salt or pepper to taste. Spread the bean mixture in the gratin dish and top with an even layer of bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brow
To quote Hamlet: “How abhorr’d in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it.”
But: to each his own!
That is all.
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