Sylvia’s Butter Beans with Tomato and Basil

This is a simply delicious and deliciously simple seasonal dish. Prepare as part of a vegetarian meal with accompanying salad or as a side dish or sauce for grilled or pan-fried seafood, fish or chicken, as pictured below. (Click on the dish below to get to another recipe 🙂 ). The flavourful Tigerella tomatoes I have grown this year shine through in this easy to prepare recipe and provide that special umami and a sumptuous balanced sweetness. There is nothing other than natural colours and flavours here. Adding some roughly chopped or torn Genovese basil leaves towards the end marries beautifully with the sweet ripe tomatoes. I hope you will try this simple recipe that I just put together the other evening to accompany our Barbeque Basil Chicken (recipe to come), garden fresh corn and French green beans. Happy Cooking! Sylvia xx

METHOD

• If using dry Butter beans, soak overnight in cold water to cover with a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda, which helps soften the skin of the beans.
• Next day, rinse and drain the beans. Add cold water to cover, bay leaf and the thyme sprigs. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the onion. Heat a frypan on medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and minced garlic. Stir and fry. Lower heat and cook until onion is wilted.
• Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the mixture resembles a sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust with lemon juice if necessary.
• Add the cooked or canned beans. Stir to coat beans in the sauce. Add the chopped basil leaves and stir to combine. Lower the heat and cook for a further minute or two then remove from the heat.
• Place in a serving dish, add a dash of extra virgin olive oil to accompany grilled fish or chicken or serve as a main vegetarian/vegan dish.

Simply delicious!
Cheers, Sylvia xx