tuscan bean salad

I hope everyone had a happy and delicious Valentine's Day! After all that chocolate, I was ready to make this salad today - white beans with garlic, parsley, herbs, and grape tomatoes, or sun dried tomatoes, if you prefer a chewier texture.

I made this salad for years for the local stores around here, and I still have people asking when and if I'll start up again. I'm not sure I want to commit to that, so I'll just direct people to this page. It's a wonderful salad to pack for lunch at the office, or a picnic, or even for school.

To make:

2 cups small white beans, dried

4 bay leaves

1 peeled onion, intact

1 t. oregano

Pick through the beans and discard any pebbles. Place in a large pot with the bay leaves, onion and oregano and cover with water - about 6 inches of water above the beans. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about an hour. Keep tasting the beans to make sure they're not getting mushy. When they are just soft, strain and discard the bay leaves and onion.

Place cooked beans in a large bowl.

Add:

1 T. fresh lemon juice

4 T. or more red wine vinegar

4 T. or more olive oil

4 cloves mashed garlic

3/4 cup scallions, sliced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper ( freshly ground)

1 t. basil, dry, or 2 T. fresh, chopped

1 t. oregano, dry

1/2 t. thyme

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved, or 7 sun dried tomatoes, snipped with scissors

Toss together and taste, taste, taste. Taste right away, and taste again a half hour later, since the seasonings are absorbed by the white beans.

You can eat this as is, or stuff into peppers, wraps, or omelets or pasta. It's also great as a party dish with tortilla chips.....I'm sure you'll be able to come with some great ideas on your own.

Enjoy!