Use what you’ve got.

Sometimes you don’t have what is called for, but chances are you’ve got something else that would serve just as well.

Call it an adage or philosophy–this way of thinking brings together creativity, practicality, and economy, and can be most useful in problem solving. I had to remind myself of this when it came time to prepare for a cooking demonstration for this year’s Earth Day Celebration.

I had been asked to feature things that I’ve been growing in my tiny urban farmette. Figuring I’d have an abundance of mesclun, scallions, garlic, fresh herbs, I had envisioned presenting a variety of vinaigrettes, tossing them on the myriad greens, passing out samples of sumptuous salads.

But, Mother Nature and my seeds did not cooperate with this vision. Our burst of warmth in late February-early March gave way to cooler temperatures and wetter weather. My seedlings, which eagerly sprouted up in my window box greenhouse, remained inert, post-transplant.

They stood in the ground, I believe, and shivered.

It was plain in my two-days-before-the-event assessment that I would have plenty of chives and Italian parsley, but only four scallions of size and a handful of petite greens—slim pickings for a food demo and tasting.

Time to play my “what’s-in-the-pantry game”; surely it held some wonderful things to pair with my local garden offerings.
And, indeed there were: I found quite the assortment of white beans and peas, all in almost-empty bags and boxes.
Time to put these dribs and drabs to good use.

I chose black-eyed peas, yellow-eyed peas, navy beans, great northern beans, baby limas and flageolets—visually, a pleasing look—variants of white—and all similarly sized to throw into the pot together. In my fridge, I had celery, carrots, and an orange.
An idea began to form:
A light, nutritious white bean medley salad, with crunchy bits of celery, carrot, and scallion, dressed in a refreshing vinaigrette of orange, Italian parsley, and chives.

It was well-enjoyed by the Earth Day cooking demo attendees, but because our intention was to not use paper at the festival, I had no recipe cards to share.
So, here for all of you who kindly attended and all of you, dear readers, is the appropriately renamed for its use-what-you’ve-got sensibility:
my Earth Day Salad.

White Bean Medley
1 cup assorted White Beans and Peas
2 T. Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, small dice
3 cloves Garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon Salt
pinch Red Pepper flakes
1 Bay Leaf

Soak the beans and peas for at least four hours. Rinse.
Heat a 2 quart saucepan. Add olive oil. Sauté onions until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Continue sautéing for another 2 minutes. Add beans/peas, stirring so that all are coated. Add 4 cups water. Stir. Cover and cook on medium heart for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. Add more liquid if necessary.
Remove from liquid and cool. Remove bay leaf. Taste for seasoning.

Orange-Herb Vinaigrette

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 heaping Tablespoon Orange Zest
¼ teaspoon Salt (or more, to taste)
a few grindings of fresh cracked Black Pepper
pinch Red Pepper flakes
1 Tabelspoon Orange Juice
2 Tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar
1 heaping Tablespoon Italian Parsley, chopped
4-6 sprigs Garlic Chives, or Chives, snipped into small pieces

Start with the olive oil in the bottom of the salad bowl. Add the zest and allow to infuse for a few minutes. Then add salt, black and red peppers, orange juice, vinegar, parsley, and chives. Stir together well, and then proceed to the next step:
Creating the Salad
3 large Scallions, including green tops, chopped
3 ribs and leaves Celery, finely chopped
3 Carrots, finely chopped
cooked Bean-Pea Medley
4-6 pieces Red leaf lettuce, coarse chiffonade

Add carrots, celery, and scallions to the salad bowl. Stir so that all the ingredients are well coated.
Next, add the bean-pea medley. Fold these into the mixture, again so that everything is well coated with the vinaigrette. Fold gently so you don’t break up the beans. Finally, fold in the shreds of lettuce.
Taste for seasonings–adjust for salt, top with a little more zest and black pepper.
Serves 8

Cooks Notes:
Serve the salad room temperature. The longer it sits in the vinaigrette, the more pronounced the fresh flavors become.
The salad is vegan, but lends itself readily to other ingredients.
Try adding these:
Soft Goat Cheese
Crumbled Feta
Toasted Walnuts or Pinenuts

1. Maggie Says:
   April 21st, 2009 at 5:31 pm

   Nance, this is my kind of “cookin”! You know I love the “use what you’ve got” approach. I’m sure the creamy beans and crunchy veggies are wonderful together – I’ll have to see!

2. veg head Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 7:40 am

   Happy Earth Day Salad!
   Happy Earth Day!

3. Wendy Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 11:04 am

   Perfect for Jimbo- heart healthy and “beanie.” I’ll just keep the windows open. WZ

4. Renee Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 8:23 pm

   Excited for a vegan recipe with pizazz, thanks!

5. Eileen Says:
   April 24th, 2009 at 6:07 am

   Thanks for sharing this. Your cooking demo was informative and fun.

6. Carolyn Says:
   April 30th, 2009 at 12:59 pm

   I made a version of the Earth Day Salad with small white beans, carrots, celery, parsley, and chives, and one small spring onion (all I had on hand). I think the orange zest and orange juice contributed to the wonderful flavor. I served it on Romaine. We (my husband, son and I) all liked it so much; it was the best bean salad I’ve ever made. Next time we’ll have it with goat cheese or feta. Thank you so much, Nancy!