British Beans with Parsley Sauce &
Lemony Carrots

__________________________________________________

            FOOD FUNNY
__________________________________________________

Here's a cute one from Rosemary Zwick:

My parents had not been out together in quite some time. One Saturday,
as Mom was finishing the ironing, my father stepped up behind her.
"Would you like to go out, girl?" he asked.

Not even turning around, my mother quickly replied, "Oh, yes, I'd love to!"

They had a wonderful evening, dining at an upmarket restaurant, and it
wasn't until much later that Dad finally confessed that his question had
actually been directed to the family dog, laying near Mom's feet on the
kitchen floor.

__________________________________________________

            TODAY'S RECIPES
__________________________________________________

This dish would most likely be made with broad beans in Britain.
In the US we call them fava beans and they can be hard to come
by, but lima beans make an excellent and easy-to-find substitute.

Beans with Parsley Sauce

1 1/2-2 lbs (675-900 g) fava (broad) beans or lima beans
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter
2-3 sprigs parsley plus additional, chopped, for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
2-3 egg yolks
A few drops of lemon juice

Combine the beans, butter, parsley, salt, pepper, and enough
water to barely cover the beans in a pot and bring to a boil over
moderate heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the
beans are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and
allow to cool for a few minutes, discarding the parsley sprigs.
Whisk together the cream and egg yolks and add to the beans.
Reheat gently, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens - do
not boil. Add the lemon juice and serve garnished with chopped parsley.
Serves 4 to 6.

**************************************************************

I like the flavor of lemons with most vegetables, and you can
substitute just about any vegetable or bean for the carrots in
this simple and versatile recipe.

Lemony Carrots

2 1/2 cups (625 ml) water
1-1 1/2 lbs (450-675 g) carrots, thinly sliced
1 Tbs (15 ml) lemon juice
A grating of fresh nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) butter mashed with
1 Tbs (15 ml) all-purpose flour to make a smooth paste

Combine the water, carrots, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a
pot and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce the heat and simmer
uncovered until the carrots are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the
carrots with a slotted spoon and set aside. Boil the cooking liquid
until reduced to 1 cup. Whisk the butter and flour mixture in gradually,
whisking constantly, and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 3
minutes. Add the carrots and heat through. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Jun 20 05:56:07 2007