i’ve actually lost track of how many times i have made this salad these past few weeks. and i’ll be dammed if i don’t make it a million more times over the next few weeks.
it is so versatile. here you can see i plopped it on top of an italian farinata that i made for a collaboration with TOAST recently, but honestly, it is perfect on its own, a lovely accompaniment to some tinned fish or on the side of a frittata too, perhaps!
this salad also just gets better with time. the longer you leave it to marinate in the fridge, the better.
rest assured, i plan on trying it in all of these ways—multiple times over. because this salad, really is that good.
TOAST
here are some pictures that my beautiful friend and colleague simi took of me for my TOAST live segment, featuring the two bean salad and a few other delights that i rustled up.
i was so honored when TOAST reached out and asked to feature me in one of their upcoming lives. i have been wearing TOAST clothing for as long as i can remember. TOAST is a very well revered, british heritage clothing brand and it was such a fun experience doing something front-facing. and being that i am british myself, it was even more of an honor.
maybe i want to do more talking to the camera, we’ll see. people say i should do it more all the time, but it always seems like such a daunting task. should i do it more? i’ll let you guys be the judge.
rose pizzeria, berekley ca
my friend maddy and i were just in the bay last weekend, for a fun but fleeting visit. i will write more on what we ate and what we did in another substack post, but in the meantime, i will leave you with this.
this sweet little tucked-away pizzeria has been on my list for so long thanks to my friend ethaney. i would always see her go and yearn for the delicious-looking pizza. the place always looked so darling too. well—it was indeed darling. the decor was cute and sort of a nautical blue and red with wooden paneling. there was also a small but perfectly formed outdoor terrace that looked like i would be stunning on a summer afternoon / early evening. unassuming really, but exactly the type of place i like to dine. the natural wine list was great too.
we each had a little glass of orange wine—it had perfect salinity, which ended up being perfect to pair with pizza.
we chose two pizzas. we chose the classic pep and also the louie-louie. the pizza was exactly how i would explain my favorite pizza. thin, crispy, and kinda charred. the crust was chewy but insanely crunchy on the outside. total perfection.
we also got a side of the beans served with sourdough—which i am still thinking about to this day. the beans were cooked perfectly, and seasoned throughout. served with some very lightly pickled red onion and a parsley salad (parsley as a sole salad leaf is underrated imo), some roasted feta, and some teeny tiny braised baby artichokes—just indescribably divine.
and last, but absolutely not least—their spicy caesar salad was so delightful. i am usually a purist when it comes to caesar salad but this so incredible. i think it was calabrian chili paste in the dressing, but i kind of need to re-create it at home to see if the flavor profile matches.
i dream of moving to berkeley one day, but i just love LA too much right now. happy that i can drive up to the bay and experience this place, regardless. if you find yourself in the bay and love pizza & sweet vibes, you must go.
and now, without further ado, the two-bean salad recipe below.
recipe
2 cups of any cooked white beans (jarred would work fine here too)
2 cups of snap peas (snow peas or mange tout would be lovely here, as would some chopped asparagus)
1/2 white onion, very finely sliced (i used a mandolin)
1/2 fennel bulb, very finely sliced (i used a mandolin)
1/2 cup of champagne vinegar (white balsamic works exceptionally well here too)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
flaky salt
freshly cracked black pepper
parmesan for serving
i started with with some freshly cooked white beans (recipe here) but tinned or jarred work so well here too. pop the beans into a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
next, get a sauté pan ripping hot—with just a little olive oil. once the pan is visibly hot (but not smoking) drop the snap peas in and leave undisturbed for at least 1 minute. check one after a minute or so, to see if the bottoms of the peas have charred. if they have, you can now give the rest of the beans a little stir (or gently shake the pan) to ensure that all sides of the beans get to touch the bottom of the pan and char somewhat. this process should take no longer than 4 minutes max.
once perfectly charred, add the warm snap peans to the white beans with a pinch of flaky salt.
whilst the snap peas are still warm, add in the sliced white onion and sliced fennel as well as the champagne vinegar and olive oil. adding everything whilst the peas are still warm with ensure that the fennel and onion wilt a little and will also help with vinegar and olive oil marinating everything.
serve still warm, pretty much straight away, or leave to cool to room temp and serve. this keeps really well in the fridge for a few days too, and honestly gets better with time.
talk soon
xo
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