Photography By Steve Buchanan
Consider the modest bean. Behind its pedestrian reputation lies a food full of flavor, available in unique shapes and varied colors. And legumes are good for us, too—full of protein and carbohydrates. Not surprisingly, beans appear on The Inn at Easton’s menu in one form or another throughout the year. I not only like the taste of them, but I find them to be incredibly versatile in the kitchen.
The Tuscan bean stew is perfect as a hearty starter or as a lunchtime meal all by itself—just add crusty bread. The French lentil and goat cheese salad works at room temperature, but, for a sublime experience, serve it warm with the goat cheese nearly melted. You can’t go wrong with simple good old baked beans—I couldn’t resist adding chunks of applewood smoked bacon. Yum! For vegetarians, or just for the sake of making something different, I included the chickpea burgers—they’re tasty and interesting enough that you don’t need the beef. After trying a few of these recipes, you may never look at beans the same way again.
Chickpea Burger with Grilled Eggplant and Lime Pickle
Warm Green Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese
Andrew Evans is the chef/owner of The Inn at Easton.
