Market Bean Salad, Aged White Cheddar Cheese and Warm Walnut-Bacon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
MARKET BEAN SALAD
- 3 ounces haricot vert
- 3 ounces wax beans, yellow
- 3 ounces romano beans, green
- 3 ounces romano beans, yellow
- 3 ounces cranberry beans, fresh or dried (see note)
- 3 ounces string beans, purple
- 6 ounces fava beans
- Sea salt, coarse (as needed)
- Warm Walnut-Bacon Vinaigrette (see below, as needed)
- White cheddar, aged, shaved (as needed)
- Heirloom cherry tomatoes (as needed)
- California walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped (as needed)
- Edible flowers, herb buds or picked herbs (as needed, see note)
WARM WALNUT-BACON VINAIGRETTE
- 4 ounces bacon, applewood smoked, ¼-inch dices
- 1 ounce shallots, cut into rings
- 4 ounces California walnut halves or pieces
- Black pepper, freshly ground (as needed)
- 3 fluid ounces apple cider vinegar
- 2 fluid ounces walnut oil
- Kosher salt, as needed
Preparation
MARKET BEAN SALAD
- Blanch each type of bean separately in a large pot of boiling salted water and then shock in ice water, leaving purple string beans and fava beans as last two to blanch and shock.
- Once beans are completely cooled, drain. Cut haricot vert, yellow wax and purple string beans on a bias into halves; cut romano beans on a bias into thirds. Peel and split fava beans and reserve separately.
- In a large bowl, combine beans (except for fava beans) and season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Give vinaigrette a good stir and generously spoon over mix of beans. Add cheese and gently toss to combine, evenly coating beans with dressing. Fold in cherry tomatoes and fava beans, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Arrange onto 1 large serving platter or divide evenly onto individual plates. Liberally sprinkle with walnuts and finish with a few additional shavings of cheese. Garnish platter or individual plates with edible flowers, herb buds or picked herbs of your choice and serve.
Note: If using dried cranberry beans, soak for 24 hours in water prior to cooking. Examples of edible flowers and herb buds include anise hyssop, basil flowers, chive buds, marsh mallow and meadowsweet.
WARM WALNUT-BACON VINAIGRETTE
- Over low to medium heat, slowly render bacon until golden and most of the fat has been cooked out. Do not cook until the bacon is crispy and crunchy; it should remain moist, supple and a bit chewy. Remove bacon from pan and set aside.
- Slowly sweat shallots in bacon fat until tender. Coarsely chop walnuts and add to shallots, along with reserved bacon. Add some black pepper and mix well to combine. Remove pan from heat and stir in cider vinegar. Be sure to scrape any bits of bacon, shallot or walnuts from bottom of pan.
- Finish with walnut oil, then taste vinaigrette for acidity, salt and balance of flavor. Adjust as needed with kosher salt, more vinegar, oil, etc. Reserve warm until needed.