Get somebody to bring you butter beans (the dried type) next time you have a visitor from Britain, and then grow them yourself! I'm sure you could grow them, in your climate (subject to sufficient rain, of course...
)
Nev, I think my American cook book is still in Germany, in one of the boxes that didn't fit into the car last time I was there! Sorry, but I'm sure Shiney will find her recipe sooner than I find mine.
Anyway, here's another recipe:
Continental Lentil Soup
This is what we'd call a "one pot" in German, i.e. it's a meal in one pot. Too substantial to be eaten just as a first course, with a main course to follow (but a pudding is allowed afterwards!
) These quantities are enough for 4 portions.
1 onion
1 leek
1 parsnip (or Hamburg parsley)
2-3 carrots
1-2 potatoes
piece of celeriac (or 2 stalks of celery)
garlic, if you like
250g Continental lentils
veggie stock
bayleaf
pepper
fresh parsley if available
- size of veg is really up to your preference, this is what I'd use in medium size -
Sweat off chopped onion in oil. Add lentils, veggie stock (enough to cover lentils well, more might need to be added later), bayleaf and garlic. Bring to the boil and turn down heat.
I then clean, chop and add the other vegetables one after the other, depending on how long they take to cook - that way I use the cooking time also for preparing the veg, and it'll all come out more or less evenly cooked at the same time. Total cooking time should be something like half an hour.
Season with pepper (and whatever else you like - a bit of curry is nice). Sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving.
Usually the lentils don't need soaking, but if they've been lurking about the back of your cupboard for the last 5 years, they might benefit from a few hours in water before they go in the pot!
For the non-veggies amongst you, it's nice to add a bit of fried, smoked bacon (add chopped bacon to the onions at the start), or smoked pork belly, or some smoked sausages. And of course you don't need to use veggie stock, either.
Serve with bread (home-made, wholemeal, of course...
)
PS: Forgot to mention lovage as a very useful herb in this - probably because the goats have "pruned" mine to the ground...
