Cranberry Beans, Cherry Tomatoes & Cucumber Salad

Garden Salad

Cranberry Bean Salad

Picnic perfect! A garden salad with fresh borlotti or cranberry beans, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers goes great with everything from fish to grilled meats or eaten by itself with toasty bread & a wedge of pecorino (sheep's milk cheese).

(All the produce for this salad is grown in our organic farm with homemade red wine vinegar.)

Cranberry Bean Salad

Insalata di Fagioli Borlotti 

serves 4

2 cups fresh borlotti or cranberry beans
couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
1 cucumber, peeled & sliced

fresh herbs of your choice, chopped: marjoram, oregano or basil work well
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive
salt pepper
vegetable scraps

In a pot with plenty of water, bring the beans to a boil with vegetable scraps: the bits from the fridge such as celery tops, the bendable carrot destined for the garbage, half an onion sitting in your fridge that doesn't look so great - toss it in! (The veggies give the beans a bit more flavor.)
Bring to boil then lower to simmer 20-30 minutes until the beans are tender.
Drain & discard the vegetables.
In a bowl combine the beans, tomatoes, onion, cucumber. Add in the herbs.
Combine the oil & vinegar then toss with the salad.
Season with salt & pepper.
Let stand 10-15 minutes to let the flavors come together. Recheck your seasonings (taste it) and adjust.  Serve.

Fresh picked cranberry beans from our garden