Dragon's Tongue Beans with Aioli

For the aioli: 

Put the following into the blender:

A whole egg

A pinch of sea salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

-Blend on high.

-Add another ¾ cup olive oil in a light steady stream until all is incorporated

-Then add 3 TBS fresh lemon juice.

-Finely chop 1-3 cloves of garlic with some sea salt until smooth and then stir it into the mayonnaise. 

For the beans: 

-Tip and tail 1 pound of Dragon's Tongue beans and cut into 2 inch lengths.

-Steam them until just tender, about 3-5 minutes. 

-Toss the beans with some garlic aioli.

-Taste for salt and serve warm.

 

Ronde de Nice Squash and Carrot Fritters with Yogurt Dip

Summer Squash and Carrot Fritters with Yogurt Dip

-Grate 4 small carrots.

-Then grate 2 large Ronde de Nice summer squash.

-To make the batter for the fritters: in a large bowl, whisk together the following:

1 cup flour, more as needed

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp sea salt

-In a separate large bowl, whisk together the following

1 cup milk, more as needed

1 large egg

¼ tsp grated lemon zest

¼ tsp pepper

-Pour dry ingredients into wet; whisk until just blended, batter should be slightly thicker than cream. If it’s too thick, add some milk; if it’s too thin, sprinkle with additional flour.

-Stir in the carrots, zucchini and scallions.

-Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

-To make the yogurt dip: using a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife, mash together the 1 finely chopped garlic clove and ¼ tsp sea salt.

-In a small bowl, whisk together:

½ cup plain yogurt

1 TBS chopped mint or cilantro

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

The garlic/salt mixture

-Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

-Fill a wide saucepan with 1 inch of olive oil; heat until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a small drip of batter browns immediately).

-Line a cookie sheet with paper towels.

-Working in batches, drop battered vegetables by the tablespoon into the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan.

-Fry, turning occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 to 4 minutes.

-Use a slotted spoon to transfer fritters to the cookie sheet to drain.

-Transfer fritters to a platter or plate; sprinkle with sea salt and serve with yogurt dip.