rancho gordo

hope everyone is feeling rested and relaxed after the holiday weekend. we enjoyed the sun and warm weather finally here in nyc with friends, a night at citi field and a few glasses of rose here.

check out this post on the den about our work with gilt taste. now that summer is here, so are all the great outdoor fleas and food markets like smorgasburg, which we checked out last saturday. also excited to check out the latest east coast outpost of blue bottle coffee - how's that view?!

we've shared our love of Rancho Gordo products on the blog before here but realized it's been way too long since we've cooked with any of their amazing beans! we recently picked up a bag of christmas lima beans which are big and beautiful with their maroon stripping and deep chestnut flavor. this salad is adapted from Heirloom Beans, a great reference for how to cook all things rancho gordo by the company's founder. this hearty healthy salad is great for summer gatherings as a whole meal or a perfect side dish.

Christmas Lima Bean Salad

(adapted from Heirloom Beans)

serves 4 to 6

5 small beets

1/2 cup quinoa

3 cups cooked christmas lima beans

4 green onions, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup yellow pear tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

1/3 cup olive oil

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. wash and scrub beets. wrap in foil and wrap until tender when poked with a fork, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. when cool, peel and cut into bite size wedges. in a medium saucepan bring quinoa and water to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until fluffy but still a little tender. drain well and rinse under cool water.

combine beets, quinoa, beans, green onion, avocado and tomatoes.

in a small bowl combine lemon juice, vinegar and honey. while stirring, slowly drizzle in olive oil and whisk to combine. pour over salad and toss to combine. season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with crumbled feta before serving. serve at room temperature & enjoy!