Northern Bean Summer "Dish"/ Showing off bounty from the farmers' stand

Northern Bean Summer “Dish”

So on the commute back from my internship (I travel to the beach every weekend), I passed several farmers’ stands and swerved in….. I came out with two baby white eggplants and a canary melon. I’m pretty sure regular eggplant would substitute in as well. The baby eggplant is a bit hidden in the picture, but ups the delicious factor several notches!

On a second note, I don’t know what to call this dish- it’s not a stew, or a stir-fry or…. Suggestions?

Ingredients:

1 cup dried great northern beans
Non-stick cooking spray
¼ cup diced onions
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sage
Black pepper to taste
2 baby white eggplants
1 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup spinach leaves
1 tsp lemon juice

Apparatus:

Bowl
Plate
Pot
Pan (w/cover)
Spatula


Process:
1)Place beans in a bowl and let sit overnight. The next night, place in pot, bring to a bowl for 5 minutes, and then drain and rinse.
2)While beans are boiling, slice eggplants into rounds, and place in a single layer on a plate on a paper towel. Microwave on high for 10 minutes.
3)Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place onions, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, sage, and pepper in. Saute for approximately 5 minutes.
4)Add tomatoes and beans to pan, cover and let cook for 5 more minutes.
5)Add spinach and lemon juice. Cover for just long enough for spinach to wilt, stir, and serve!


One of the other great things from the farmers' stand: A canary melon! I had never heard of such a fruit and wanted to give it a try. A bit crisper than a cantaloupe, and a little bit of tang to the sweet-very interesting all around.