I have a particular love for the chicories, the bitter lettuces, which include radicchio (red, pink, green and speckled varieties), endive, escarole and dandelion greens, not to mention all the dark leafy varieties of chicory the Italians consume, like dente de leone, spada, and the strange, crunchy, not-so-leafy, many-lobed bulb called puntarelle.
Any of these bitter greens — or a mixture of two or three of them — work well with beans. Together in a bowl or plate, beans and greens have enough complexity and umami to please carnivores and vegetarians alike. The long simmered with the quickly sauteed!
You might try cranberry beans and dandelion greens. Cannellini beans and escarole. Chickpeas and rapini. On a hot summer day, there’s fresh arugula with white beans and cherry tomatoes. One of my favorite preparations is large dried limas cooked to a cloud-like softness with one or more bitter greens.
Lima beans are terrific cooked with rosemary, bay leaves and a pinch of red peppers, but the spice level is the cook’s to adjust. Hot sauce can be added at the table. Or various flavor enhancers — from smoked paprika to fish sauce-infused salt — can be used in the last few minutes of cooking.
This recipe is featured in the story “Bitter is beautiful. Greens and beans for grown-ups,” along with the recipe for A Surprising and Versatile Pineapple Tart.
