Categories: Food

Pan-Fried Beans with Kale

Giant pan-fried beans are the best. By cooking huge beans in a splash of olive oil, you get a crisped, golden crust on the beans and they’re absolutely incredible. I do a bunch of different versions of these, finishing them with all sorts of different combinations of ingredients, but this one has been enduring. Toasted walnuts are a natural compliment to the creamy beans, lemon brightens everything up, nutmeg is the wildcard, and Parmesan brings it all home for the win.

Pan-Fried Beans with Kale: The Inspiration

Years ago I found myself in the basement of San Francisco’s Anthropologie store. I’d fallen for the rose & tuberose solid Frazer Parfum on my way down, and was at the base of the grand staircase, looking at starlight rings and beaded necklaces. A pretty lady, sitting with her daughter, smiled at me. A few minutes later she asked if my name was Heidi, and she said she knew me from my site – this site!

I’m so glad she said hello. It turns out we have quite a number of things in common, and I’m sure we could have talked about cooking, or photography, or places to visit for hours. Her daughter was a sweet pea and very patient with us. Anyhow, I feel like I left the house looking for a pair of black ballet flats, and ended up making a friend instead. It turns out she has a site too (here’s Jessica now), and as I was looking through it, her lemon kale pesto with nutmeg recipe jumped out at me. I had some beans soaking at home and decided to somehow weave the beans and the lemon kale pesto idea together.

I deconstructed her kale pesto idea here. Skipped the puree, leaving the kale roughly chopped. A fantastic flavor profile emerged with toasted walnuts and a bit of nutmeg. Fresh lemon zest and juice are added for the finale, tying all the flavors together in an unexpected, complex, and offbeat way. Pro-tip: don’t skip the nutmeg.

Thanks for the inspiration Jessica. I’m so glad our paths crossed!