Butter Beans
Jonah, Jesse’s youngest son, and I were chatting earlier today. He liked the idea of ‘small bites’ so much he wanted to know if he could occasionally submit something from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina where is getting his PhD. When I first started at Flea St. Cafe the other staff warned me about Jonah. At the time he was about 3 or 4 feet tall and was, as the wait staff described him "the devil child". What did they expect his Mom was taking him to markets to hang out with farmers instead to church on the weekends. We got along fabulously from our first meeting and have been pals and brothers ever since.
Butter Beans, by Jonah Cool
Every week I go to the farmers market. Ever since my childhood, Saturday's at the market was as close as I got to a church like experience; praising the harvest and communion with farmers. The market is a weekly event that allows me to blend into a crowd and inconspicuously celebrate my love of food. My goal at a market is less comprehensive, as in a grocery store, and more myopic. I silently ask "what is the single best bite that this cadre of food has amidst it?" To answer this question, I work in steps. First, I walk the whole market without much of a break. I need an overview. At this point I ask myself "what did I see A LOT of?" The answer is usually what is at its absolute prime that week. Secondly, I ask "where did it look the best?" the answer is usually my small bite of the week.
Last weekend I walked my North Carolina market and the answer was decidedly southern. Butter Beans. I returned to my preferred vat of unshucked butter beans and began to pick through them. Once home, I pulled up a chair and began to peel during the height of a hot and humid afternoon. This week’s improvisation resulted in a succotash with the fresh butter beans at its core. All was in moderation but I wanted to treat the pedestrian beans to an exotic, and slightly unusual, spice. To them I added corn, shallots, turmeric, cumin, oregano, olive oil, and finally some fresh basil on top. It was a small amount (one man can only shuck so many beans!) but worth every single ‘small bite.’
Butter Beans, by Jonah Cool
Every week I go to the farmers market. Ever since my childhood, Saturday's at the market was as close as I got to a church like experience; praising the harvest and communion with farmers. The market is a weekly event that allows me to blend into a crowd and inconspicuously celebrate my love of food. My goal at a market is less comprehensive, as in a grocery store, and more myopic. I silently ask "what is the single best bite that this cadre of food has amidst it?" To answer this question, I work in steps. First, I walk the whole market without much of a break. I need an overview. At this point I ask myself "what did I see A LOT of?" The answer is usually what is at its absolute prime that week. Secondly, I ask "where did it look the best?" the answer is usually my small bite of the week.
Last weekend I walked my North Carolina market and the answer was decidedly southern. Butter Beans. I returned to my preferred vat of unshucked butter beans and began to pick through them. Once home, I pulled up a chair and began to peel during the height of a hot and humid afternoon. This week’s improvisation resulted in a succotash with the fresh butter beans at its core. All was in moderation but I wanted to treat the pedestrian beans to an exotic, and slightly unusual, spice. To them I added corn, shallots, turmeric, cumin, oregano, olive oil, and finally some fresh basil on top. It was a small amount (one man can only shuck so many beans!) but worth every single ‘small bite.’
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