Cooking like a gardener simply involves looking at what you have and then creating a beautiful plate that delights the eye as well as the palate.
In late summer, there are beans, potatoes, and more. I still have cabbage hanging around, so I recently created this. The potatoes are simply boiled with the skins, then dressed with butter and parsley. Use your favorite coleslaw recipe for the cabbage. I add the hard-boiled eggs for protein and since I love anchovies, I embellish each half with my favorite tinned fish. I’m willing to bet that most of you reading this will think, “Um, no thanks.” So be it.
Here is a nice little recipe for fresh garlic green beans.
Garlic Green Beans
- A handful of fresh green beans for each person
- A garlic clove for each person, chopped fine
- A teaspoon of sesame oil for each person
- Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the stem end of the beans; leave whole. Boil the beans until tender, usually 5 minutes.
In a separate pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook for a minute until the garlic is soft and fragrant, but not burned. Remove the pan from heat until ready to add the beans.
Drain the green beans and add to the pan of cooked garlic. Stir to coat the beans with oil and garlic.
Artfully arrange each plate with beans, potatoes, coleslaw, and hardboiled eggs. Tastes great with red or white wine. Best served outdoors.
