Ok. The sun is out. I think it might be safe to make a salad.
A bean salad with a cider vinaigrette to be precise. Just because.
Well, no, not really just because. There is method in my saladness.
I was contacted the other day by the Temple Bar Cultural Trust to let me (and others in the Dublin area) know about their upcoming Midsummer celebration on June 20th and 21st.
There’s a full low-down on the festivities here but it will include a Midsummer fair on the 21st with food stalls, crafts, maypole dancing and more, with Meeting House Square being carpeted with grass for the occasion. All sounds rather lovely. I’ll be going armed with an appetite and a picnic blanket and hoping that the sun continues to shine.
The other thing that the festival organisers did was to offer one lucky Spud reader a case of goodies, which includes apple juice, cider, cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar, from Llewellyn’s Orchard Produce, and which can be collected by the lucky person from the organisers during the festival (or afterwards if you can’t attend). I, of course, get to pick who that lucky person is. (Ah such power, I hope that it doesn’t go, cider-like, to my head…)
So here’s the deal.
Leave me a comment letting me know if you want in. And with a valid email address please, so that I can contact you if you win. I’ll leave this open until midnight, Irish time, on Thursday June 18th and then pick a winner at random from the entries and notify them on the 19th, so that they can pick up their loot during the festival (if attending) or arrange to do so later on. I know this geographically limits the competition to folks in a position to pick up the goods from Temple Bar (unfortunately, they weren’t throwing in delivery too) – on the other hand, for those of you in the area, you’re in with a pretty good shot of winning, so, go on, de-lurk and let me know if you’re interested. Meanwhile, here is something that you can make using just some of that cidery loot.
Update: And the winner of those very tasty apple-y goodies is… Aidan O’Kelly. Congratulations Aidan & enjoy!
Black-eyed beans with cider vinaigrette
The salad veg:
- 100g dried black-eyed beans or 1x400g tin of black-eyed beans, drained
- 150g sweetcorn kernels
- 10-15 cherry tomatoes
- 75g green olives
- 1 small leek or 3-4 spring onions
- 2-3 tblsp chopped flat leaf parsley
The dressing:
- 2 tblsp cider vinegar
- 6 tblsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 0.25 tsp lemon zest
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
- coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
The Steps:
- If you’re using dried beans and don’t have a pressure cooker, you’ll first need to soak the beans overnight or use the quick-soak method (cover the beans with several inches of cold water, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 2 minutes, remove from the heat, cover and allow to soak for at least an hour). To cook, put the soaked beans in a saucepan with roughly 3 times their volume of water, bring to the boil and cook for about 40 minutes.
- If you’re using dried beans and have a pressure cooker there’s no need to pre-soak, just add the beans and about 750ml water and a tblsp of oil to your pressure cooker along with the beans. Bring up to pressure and cook for about 8 minutes. Let the pressure drop and drain.
- If you’re using tinned beans, just drain ’em.
- Place all of the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well. Alternatively, you’ll need to whisk the ingredients together very well so that they become fully emulsified.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes, finely slice the white part of the leek (or spring onions, if using), pit the olives and slice or leave whole, as you prefer.
- Combine the beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, olives, leek and parsley and toss with the dressing.
The Variations:
- I quite fancy some crumbled feta in this or you could go a more Mexican route and add green peppers and a little bit of chili heat.
- For even more of a lemony tang, replace a couple of tsp of the cider vinegar with lemon juice.
The Results:
- Salad portions for 3-4
I love this beans and vinaigrette – it sounds very refreshing and just the thing for a lovely summer day. Randomly, I saw another post from a blogger in HK speaking to the health benefits of cider vinegar.
I am so sorry to miss out on the maypole dancing.
Ok, put my name in the pot! Email address is with the comment…
This is a great salad – healthy, refreshing and yummy! That festival looks like such fun, and I sent your link to a friend who lives in Dublin. Maybe she can win :-)
Thanks for the heads up Jamie! That salad looks delicious. Count me in too!
This is so fresh and delicious. I especially love the dressing!!
Your salad looks delicious! Wish I were nearby so I could enter your giveaway.
I’ haven’t had black-eyed beans too much. Sounds fab with the vinaigrette, too. I’m a sucker for a good vinaigrette.
Oh my: this family contains 4 of the biggest vinegar fans in the world-guaranteed!!!
I love your salad ! tasteful thanks for sharing your recipe!
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Cider Vinegar – Yum!!!
Definitely count me in for the competition!
that looks super refreshing and healthy! perfect for summer!
OysterCulture: not sure if I’ve ever seen maypole dancing up close myself, so that should be worth a look
Oisin: you’re in
Jamie: great, thanks for forwarding the link
IrishGirl: glad to have you enter!
Reeni: thanks, something bright and zesty to go with the sunshine
lisaiscooking: I know, it is pretty geographically limited – will have to do something that’s a bit more global sometime!
jenn: indeed, a good vinaigrette can work wonders
Jennifer: big vinegar fan here too, always have several bottles on hand
foodcreate: thanks, will take a looksee st your site
michelle: into the hat you go
kiss my spatula: thanks for dropping in – glad you approve!
Okay. The sun is out….blah, blah, blah… But did you grow up in South Carolina and just not tell me? Was that cute Irish accent I enjoyed over lunch a put on? Who do you think you are fooling? GREG
Darn! After I just posted about my recent run of good luck, I can’t even test it out with your giveaway. No matter . . . I will console myself with this lovely salad.
I’ve considered purchasing a pressure cooker but am always scared off by the warnings and cautions in the operating manual. Thank goodness for tinned beans . . . !
Nice salad, DS! In my neck of the woods, we call those little guys black eyed peas. The world is grand, is it not?!
Bean salads are so great for the summer. I enjoy them in place of the traditional mayo dishes (except potato salad, of course ;)). This one sounds wonderful with all the summer veggies.
Yummy………..please count me in for the competition! :-)
I’ve recently come to love all kinds of bean and lentil salads that I would not have even sniffed as a kid. I am looking forward to trying this one too.
Throw my name in the pot too!
Pop my name in the cauldron please.
Greg: the accent wasn’t a put on and I’ve never been to South Carolina, I swear! :) I blame Hollywood, personally…
Tangled Noodle: yes, thank goodness for tinned beans! And I will have to see if I can do something to involve you US residents next time I have something to give away.
Jenni: you say peas, I say beans, but we can all still get along :)
Lori: yep, bean are great for summer salads (though I’d have to agree that I would generally go the mayo route for salads involving spuds)
Jeanie: counted!
Angry Brit: I’m a long time beans and lentils convert at this stage, real staples around here
Rufus: congrats on getting the comment in finally :)
Malachi: welcome to the cauldron
me too please, in the pot ! (… my name … in the pot …)
This recipe looks great, it’s very similar to the Cowboy Caviar I recently posted…
Thanks!
Wow, I’m glad I looked in on your blog before the deadline. Please please please count me in for the competition. I spend so much time admiring the photographs that go with your postings that the text sometimes passes me by. Glad I was paying attention this time! I see you have a comment from another michelle. It’s not me!!! I’m not trying to enter twice….honestly.
Woo hoo! Free cider, and a (faux) parkland setting to drink it in – sounds perfect. Count me in :)
Count me in for the competition please. Loving the recipes and will definately be trying out the above salad and banh-mi. love vietnamese food. Keep them coming
KD, Michelle #2, Brian, Aidan: you’re all in, mind you don’t squash each other now
Matt: thanks for dropping in, am liking the look of your cowboy caviar too :)
Sounds delicious! Please pop my name in the bean pot for the competition too!
Count me in. We’ll be going to for sure!
Sounds yum yu, you can add me in too please :)
Hoping to pop along to the Midsummer Festival if I can at the weekend too.
Ruth, Simon & Niamh: in you all go!
Sounds really fab! Count me in for the compo!!
Cowboy Caviar, heat removed