Garlic Spinach Bean Dip

I had these beautiful birds’ egg beans from a farm in West Virginia that I purchased at the White House farmers’ market. They’d been sitting in the fridge for a week while I fretted about whether or not I could figure out how to “shell” them, which the farmer told me was required.

Turns out, it was really easy.

All it took was a little twist maneuver, and the beans popped right out of the pods. They were gorgeous, and I came to understand why they were called “birds’ egg” beans.

I found out how to cook them from this post; I just put them in water and let them simmer for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, I tried to figure out what the heck to do with the cooked beans. I came across this recipe for a canellini bean dip, and decided to try it.

I didn’t have fresh baby spinach, so used frozen spinach instead. I also didn’t have a lemon or balsamic vinegar, so I substituted some white vinegar. I added onions just ‘cause.

This means that I actually used:

About two cups of uncooked birds’ egg beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
1.2 cup diced onion
1.5 cups cooked frozen spinach
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

I cooked the olive oil, garlic, onion, spinach, vinegar, and black pepper together in the skillet. Then I combined with the cooked, drained birds’ egg beans and blended together with enough water to allow it to blend.

When I tasted it, I found that it had a nice texture, but was too bland. So, I added a couple of drops of green Tabasco and stirred it up. Delicious with a slice of bread!