Black-Eyed Peas with Haricots Verts
Baby Spinach and Baby White Potatoes
Spicy Curry Emulsion
“To me, June is synonymous with exuberance, mostly because the flavors and colors of the month’s offering are so dramatic. I like elegant playful spicing in June, which is perfect for these fresh ingredients. I’m not yet ready for the big, assertive spices and flavors of late summer.”
Charlie Trotter
A little over a week ago you all helped me celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of Taste With The Eyes. Thank you again for all your kind words and support. This little blog is a source of much joy due to your involvement. As a small token of appreciation, I am giving away a copy of my very favorite vegetable cookbook, Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables. Oh how I wish you all could experience this book! Black-Eyed Peas with Haricots Verts and Spicy Curry Emulsion was truly sublime…Mr. Trotter is a genius.
The winner of the Giveaway for Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables will be announced on June 26.
Black-Eyed Pea
“Fresh black-eyed peas are a fantastic treat and they are far superior in flavor and texture to their dried counterparts,” explains Trotter. Alas, I had to use the dried variety in my dish, but I do look forward to seeking out the fresh ones soon. After rinsing and soaking the beans, simmer them in water with 4 cloves of garlic until soft. Reserve the cooked garlic for the final plating.
Cook baby white potatoes in salted water.
Combine 1/2 c. vegetable stock and 3 T. fresh squeezed orange juice with the spices listed below in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
- 1/8 t. cayenne
- 1/4 t. paprika
- 1/2 t. curry powder
- 1/4 t. togarashi
- 2 t. turmeric
I’ve made changes to the original recipe. Certainly not to improve upon Mr. Trotter’s recipe, but to adapt to the ingredients that were available and to make it cholesterol-free. To make the dish a more substantial vegetarian entree, I added baby white potatoes. And to make the dish heart healthy I substituted olive oil, Earth Balance butter alternative, and MimicCream for 8 T. of butter.
To the vegetable stock spice mixture whisk in 2 T. olive oil, 2 T. Earth Balance, and 2 T. MimicCream.
Toast black sesame seeds in a dry skillet.
Chop fresh herbs of your choice: I used parsley, thyme and basil.
Before serving, froth the sauce with a hand blender for about 5 minutes.
Steam haricots verts until tender. Tie into a bundle with a blanched green scallion.
To assemble: Mound fresh baby spinach in the center of a platter (Trotter uses sauteéd pea shoots). Top with haricots verts. Surround with warm potatoes and top with black-eyed peas and garlic. Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle spicy curry sauce over the vegetables. Sprinkle with toasted black sesame seeds.
Trotter recommends placing slices of poached chicken on top if you would like a more substantial dish. Vegan, vegetarian (made with butter), or served with chicken, this is a stellar dish that is sure to delight! Charlie Trotter is my hero.
My Legume Love Affair
It’s been a year since I had the pleasure of hosting My Legume Love Affair 11th Helping, a wildly successful monthly event showcasing legume-centric dishes from around the world created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, now going into its 24th month. I think Black-Eyed Peas with Haricots Verts would make a grand addition to the party, so I’m sending this dish to June’s hostess, Diana of A Bit of Spain in Iowa blog. Come join in the fun and share your best bean dishes here: My Legume Love Affair 24th Helping!
This is a dish I would definitely enjoy. Black eyed peas have protein and is a substantial meal even without the chicken.
That dish looks amazing Lori. That curry sauce sounds delicious and I love the colors.
I love the idea of spicy curry emulsion! That sounds amazing!
I love the scallion tied around the haricots verts. I can just imagine the wonderful flavor of all these ingredients brought together.
I love Charlie Trotter’s food and books. The best meal I have ever had was at Charlie Trotters a number of years ago. Your Black Eyed Peas with Haricots Verts looks amazing! As a Charlie Trotter fan, you might enjoy reading his contribution to a project I have called Spice Inspiration. He was the first contributor and shared his thoughts on cooking with grains of paradise along with providing a fantastic recipe. Here’s the link, http://u.nu/9pwbc
Hi Carol – nice to meet you and thank you for the compliment. I look forward to reading his contribution. Thanks for including the link!
LL
You may turn me into a vegetarian. This dish is so packed with different textures and flavors – it is an elegant entree. Alas, cannot find MimiCream (spelled wrong I am sure) anywhere. But Earth Balance is my friend!
A very special recipe, LL. The dried and string beans are a double wonder for MLLA.
Congrats on your 3rd anniversary. : }
The textures and flavors in you dish are really amazing. As a matter of fact your entire blog is amazing. I’ll be back often to see what else you’ve been conjuring up. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary
Adding the potatoes was a great idea. This looks like an excellent vegetarian meal!
So many wonderful texture. GREG
This looks absolutely luscious!
Really nice work. I just found your blog and will be visiting often.
What a beautiful composition of vegetables!! This is inspiring cooking!
Wow! I always love your photos, but these are exceptionally awesome. Everything looks divine
this dish looks like the most wonderful gift package all tied up and decorated! Absolutely gorgeous. I love the dishes you make , you make it seem so effortless. Brava!
This looks amazing! A beautiful job…
So colorful and fresh… full of great flavors! I love the added touch of the black sesame…
I love the drizzle of the sauce. Makes everything looks so luxurious
This is a fantastic recipe! I adore black eye peas… and as you know I love curry too! It’s not easy to find fresh black eye peas, but in the summer there are plenty of fresh shelling beans available. I bet this recipe would be great with fresh cranberry beans, fresh chickpeas and even fresh lima beans.
wow beautiful dish, nothing boring here…flavors, textures and color..yummy
sweetlife
This is fabulous LL.. just when I thought hearty salads needed a good pick me up too! And I agree, the Black-Eyed Peas with Haricots Verts “would” make a grand addition to the legume love affair party!! Well done and I want a copy of his book too!! 🙂
Glorious! It’s almost too pretty t o eat–almost! This sounds like a wonderful book. I’ll have to look it up!
what a great presentation!! those vegetables look almost too good to eat….but of course I would..lol…
thanks for sharing!
You have perfectly replicated this dish! You are amazing!
Honestly, Yours looks better than the book! Move over Charlie!