Well, the Yakima Farmer's Market held up to all I hope for in a farmer's market. We had a great time and found some new goodies to play with.
First of all, found fresh garbanzo beans - I've never seen them before. They are sold in a 'bouquet,' roots and all.
Here's a couple of pictures of them -
![[Image: fresh_garbanzo_beans.jpg]](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/cjdacook/FARMERS%20MARKET/fresh_garbanzo_beans.jpg)
and
![[Image: garbanzobeansfresh.jpg]](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/cjdacook/FARMERS%20MARKET/garbanzobeansfresh.jpg)
Googling found all kinds of ideas for cooking/using them - now I wish I had bought 2 bouquets!!
How to cook
You will need to judge the time needed to cook the beans based on how mature they are. To do this, bite one of the shelled beans. If it is already quite tender, if will need only about 5 minutes of cooking. If it offers resistance, you may need up to 20-25 minutes of cooking.
Measuring
A pound of beans in the pod equals approximately 1 cup of shelled beans
---
Even being summer, this recipe sounds just delicious -
Soupe au Pistou
Serves 6
This is the classic late summer and fall vegetable soup of Provence, featuring fresh shelling beans and laced with an unctuous puree of garlic, basil and olive oil. Serve it with lots of crusty baguette or pain au levain.
• The pistou:
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• The soup:
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt + more to taste
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1/2 pound haricots verts, cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 1/2 cup broken spaghetti pieces
• 1 pound cranberry beans, shelled and cooked (see "How to cook," this page)
• 1 pound butter beans or fresh garbanzo beans, shelled and cooked (see "How to cook," this page)
For the pistou (see photos at right): Put the garlic and the salt in a mortar, and using the pestle, crush them together to make a paste. Alternatively, crush the ingredients together in a bowl using the end of a wooden spoon or the tines of a fork. Add the basil leaves a little at a time, crushing them each time. Finally, add the olive oil in a thin stream, continuing to mix with the pestle until the mixture has thickened and taken on a green tint. Before serving add a tablespoon of the soup broth.
For the soup: In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, 2-3 minutes.
Add the carrot, potatoes, and zucchini and stir several times to coat with the oil. Add the broth, 4 cups water, salt, thyme, and parsley and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes.
Add the haricots verts and the broken spaghetti and cook until the spaghetti is tender, another 8-10 minutes. Add the cooked beans, and simmer a few minutes to heat through.
With the back of a fork, crush some of the potatoes and beans to thicken the soup.
To serve, remove the thyme and parsley sprigs and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if desired.
Pour the soup into a tureen or serving bowl and ladle in 2 tablespoons of the pistou. Serve the soup hot, with the remaining pistou on the side.
and then there is this one -
PASTA with FRESH GARBANZO BEANS, OLIVES & BACON
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes
Serves 4
This is a "concept recipe" so please do adjust to suit your own taste!
Cooked pasta (I used a beautiful spinach pasta from a local Chinese grocery that cooks up in only five minutes)
About 2 cups fresh garbanzo beans (or frozen peas)
3 - 4 slices bacon
Green onion, chopped
Pitted olives
Plenty of black pepper (don't skip the pepper!)
Cook and drain the pasta. Steam the garbanzo beans (no need to steam the frozen peas).
In a large skillet, cook the bacon til just beginning to crisp. Add the onion and let cook a bit. Add the olive and let warm through. Stir in the steamed garbanzo beans or frozen peas, then the pasta. Season with pepper, toss and serve.
Anxious to get home tomorrow and play.
We also picked up some globe zucchini - Tracie (my daughter)grows them but I've never found them up here. So will try to keep some of the seeds to plant.
Found a lemon grass plant also - had one years ago and loved having it handy. I find I shy away from recipes calling for it 'cause I think dried lemon grass is just about the worst dried anything I can think of.
The only dissapointment of the morning was, no Mexican stands!! couldn't believe it! Lots of wonderful southern BBQ, Indian, Thai, etc. but no Mexican.
We sampled it all and the Indian that was offered was just outstanding.
So now today, we will hit some of the fruits/veggie stands and pick up apricots, corn, cherries, and whatever else we can find and get home tomorrow and start canning/freezing.
We're already planning another trip in Sept/October for more fruits.
First of all, found fresh garbanzo beans - I've never seen them before. They are sold in a 'bouquet,' roots and all.
Here's a couple of pictures of them -
and
Googling found all kinds of ideas for cooking/using them - now I wish I had bought 2 bouquets!!
How to cook
You will need to judge the time needed to cook the beans based on how mature they are. To do this, bite one of the shelled beans. If it is already quite tender, if will need only about 5 minutes of cooking. If it offers resistance, you may need up to 20-25 minutes of cooking.
Measuring
A pound of beans in the pod equals approximately 1 cup of shelled beans
---
Even being summer, this recipe sounds just delicious -
Soupe au Pistou
Serves 6
This is the classic late summer and fall vegetable soup of Provence, featuring fresh shelling beans and laced with an unctuous puree of garlic, basil and olive oil. Serve it with lots of crusty baguette or pain au levain.
• The pistou:
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• The soup:
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt + more to taste
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1/2 pound haricots verts, cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 1/2 cup broken spaghetti pieces
• 1 pound cranberry beans, shelled and cooked (see "How to cook," this page)
• 1 pound butter beans or fresh garbanzo beans, shelled and cooked (see "How to cook," this page)
For the pistou (see photos at right): Put the garlic and the salt in a mortar, and using the pestle, crush them together to make a paste. Alternatively, crush the ingredients together in a bowl using the end of a wooden spoon or the tines of a fork. Add the basil leaves a little at a time, crushing them each time. Finally, add the olive oil in a thin stream, continuing to mix with the pestle until the mixture has thickened and taken on a green tint. Before serving add a tablespoon of the soup broth.
For the soup: In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, 2-3 minutes.
Add the carrot, potatoes, and zucchini and stir several times to coat with the oil. Add the broth, 4 cups water, salt, thyme, and parsley and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes.
Add the haricots verts and the broken spaghetti and cook until the spaghetti is tender, another 8-10 minutes. Add the cooked beans, and simmer a few minutes to heat through.
With the back of a fork, crush some of the potatoes and beans to thicken the soup.
To serve, remove the thyme and parsley sprigs and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if desired.
Pour the soup into a tureen or serving bowl and ladle in 2 tablespoons of the pistou. Serve the soup hot, with the remaining pistou on the side.
and then there is this one -
PASTA with FRESH GARBANZO BEANS, OLIVES & BACON
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes
Serves 4
This is a "concept recipe" so please do adjust to suit your own taste!
Cooked pasta (I used a beautiful spinach pasta from a local Chinese grocery that cooks up in only five minutes)
About 2 cups fresh garbanzo beans (or frozen peas)
3 - 4 slices bacon
Green onion, chopped
Pitted olives
Plenty of black pepper (don't skip the pepper!)
Cook and drain the pasta. Steam the garbanzo beans (no need to steam the frozen peas).
In a large skillet, cook the bacon til just beginning to crisp. Add the onion and let cook a bit. Add the olive and let warm through. Stir in the steamed garbanzo beans or frozen peas, then the pasta. Season with pepper, toss and serve.
Anxious to get home tomorrow and play.
We also picked up some globe zucchini - Tracie (my daughter)grows them but I've never found them up here. So will try to keep some of the seeds to plant.
Found a lemon grass plant also - had one years ago and loved having it handy. I find I shy away from recipes calling for it 'cause I think dried lemon grass is just about the worst dried anything I can think of.
The only dissapointment of the morning was, no Mexican stands!! couldn't believe it! Lots of wonderful southern BBQ, Indian, Thai, etc. but no Mexican.
We sampled it all and the Indian that was offered was just outstanding.
So now today, we will hit some of the fruits/veggie stands and pick up apricots, corn, cherries, and whatever else we can find and get home tomorrow and start canning/freezing.
We're already planning another trip in Sept/October for more fruits.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com
