Green Beans Franca

Today was one of those amazing days in NY. The weather was warm and sunny so I set out on my rounds on foot. I walked down to the gym and did a decent workout and then proceeded to put in my time at the street fair on Columbus Avenue.

While there I found the spice lady. I can never remember if it is Cumin or Coriander that I am out of so I bought both, along with a few other kitchen essentials.

I hit the Farmer's market and got Ed's most delicious apples, eggplant, etc. At Franca's stand I picked up more gorgeous green beans, some tomatoes and some of her hot peppers. She and Ed have been feeding me for more than 20 years and I love them both. With a back pack full of the best food in the world I headed to a Be-In in Central Park, it was a lovely disorganized event. To change the world we have to change our minds and hearts and a Be-in is a good place to get your spirit together.

You would think that with all this walking I would have been starving, and I was. Yet still I managed to make vegetables my dinner. I lost several pounds after my surgery and as much as I wanted a bowl of creamy pasta with a mushroom sauce, I went for the green beans. No one ever got fat from too many vegetables.

2 lbs green beans
3 medium hot peppers cut into tiny pieces
5 slices of bacon cut into small bits
1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes or 2 Roma tomatoes chopped into bits
A few dashes of soy sauce
A couple of drops of Cider Vinegar

Cut the bacon into bits and lay out in a non stick skillet. Fry until crisp stirring as needed. Take out the bacon and reserve the fat. Toss in your hot pepper and cook until soft and almost creamy. Remove. Warm your tomatoes in the fat, or if you like them more saucy cook for a bit. Remove to a warm plate. Throw in the green beans and cook until they are the way you like them from crisp to soft, your choice. Toss everything back in plus the soy and Vinegar and stir over high heat.

Remove to warm plate and enjoy with a glass of Chianti

For dessert I am going to have an apple...and if you think that's not special then you have not tasted Ed's apples.

Composed Salad

I am not lazy...I swear I'm not. No updates because S.O. and I have been in Budapest. I took my computer intending to photograph and write about what we ate while there but the best intentions get wiped out when you are searching for that next wonderful bit of goose liver. I gained weight, no kidding, not massive amounts but enough for me to be careful about consumption for a few weeks.

S.O. had a version of this salad at the David Gregory restaurant (now closed) in D.C. and has been craving it ever since. The dressing I made is a lightened up version of their creamy herb and we chose our own vegetables. On a warm night this is a great starter when you want the vegetables to be the primary food group.

Dressing:

The juice of two limes
1 cup of dill fronds
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 anchovy
1 fresh egg
Black pepper
Dash salt

Combine everything in food processor and set aside.

You can use any vegetables you have. We chose mesclun, lightly dressed, fresh peas and greens very lightly blanched and chilled and zuchinni lightly grilled along with some fresh cucumber. Drizzle the dressing over the veg and serve on chilled plates.

Did I say delicous?

It was, of course our pledge to eat light ended with the salad. We polished off a bit of chicken paprikash afterwards and had some of the leftover chicken made into a hash this morning.

We like to eat.