Six OClock Solution: White Beans and Roasted Tomato Salad

This salad in holiday colours has a plus-factor the recipe revives over-ripe tomatoes because the time in the oven enhances their sweetness.

The recipe is one of 100 in a new cookbook called From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves, by London food writer Diana Henry (Hachette/Canadian Manda Group, $32.99). Her favourite style of recipe is one where she combines ingredients in a pan without delaying to brown the food, sets the pan to bake, and sits back in anticipation of a well-flavoured meal.

Diana Henrys From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves.

From chicken thighs and fish fillets, sausage-vegetable combinations and well-seasoned roasts, this veteran cook has produced an appealing and useful book of particular interest to those who do not want to pass much time in the kitchen but want to turn out good meals. All categories of dishes are covered, including recipes with plenty of grains and legumes. Copiously illustrated, packed with tips, the book would make a perfect gift accompanied by a shallow casserole, one of the authors preferred baking dishes.

White Beans and Roasted Tomato Salad

Serves 4

Dressing:

teaspoon (1 mL) Dijon mustard

1-1/4 tablespoons (20 mL) white balsamic vinegar

Sea salt flakes

Freshly ground pepper

7 tablespoons (100 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1 red Fresno chili, halved, seeded, finely chopped, or a generous pinch crushed red pepper

1 small clove garlic, finely grated

In a small bowl, mix mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Use a fork to whisk in 5 tablespoons (75 mL) of the oil, followed by the chili and garlic. Let stand.

Salad:

1 can (19 ounces/540 mL) white cannellini beans, rinsed, well-drained

1 pound (500 g) ripe cherry tomatoes

cup (125 mL) mint, basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped coarsely

1-1/4 tablespoons (20 mL) capers, rinsed, patted dry

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).

Drain beans into a serving dish. Add half the dressing (see recipe) and let stand.

Place tomatoes in a baking dish, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of the oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Toss a generous spoonful of the herbs into the remaining dressing. Add remaining herbs and the capers to the beans.

Spread beans on a serving platter and arrange tomatoes on top. Pour tomato cooking juices over all along with the remaining dressing, and serve.

julianarmstrong1@gmail.com

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