Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Pan Roasted Halibut with Rancho Gordo Christmas Lima Beans


Today, let us take a moment to appreciate beans. You heard me right! Suffice to say, I love legumes of all varieties. They're full of nutrients and protein, they're filling and did I mention delicious? For months, I've been hearing about Rancho Gordo, a farm in California that specializes in growing heirloom beans and sells them online and in gourmet stores. They also even have a cookbook that's available on Amazon! Before I left Los Angeles for the lush green landscape of Floyd, I had a farewell lunch at Cube and noticed they sold the beans in their gourmet store. Excitedly, I snatched up a bag of Christmas Lima Beans - large, beautiful brown and white speckled beans that the package declared had a chestnut flavor - and toted them to Floyd as a gift for my mother, The Original Diva.

We decided to soak them overnight and then slow cook them all day, only flavoring them with a little olive oil and salt. I asked her, "How much should I make?"

"The whole bag!" she replied enthusiastically.

The whole bag it was - and let me say there were a lot of limas! The beans cooked up beautifully. So now what? I searched through the fridge and conspired with The Original Diva to arrive at our night's menu. We had some lovely halibut from local provider Indigo Farms. We also had loaded up at Green's Garage on local, organic yellow tomatoes earlier in the week. So we decided to pan roast the halibut and serve it over corn cakes (made special by The Original Diva) with fresh yellow tomato salsa and, of course, the Christmas Lima Beans!

This dish surpassed our expectations, delicate and delicious, with great flavors that blended together seamlessly. A true winner that I'm sharing today!

Note: The slow-cooked Lima Beans may be made and served as a great side dish to any meal!


Domestic Diva's Pan Roasted Halibut with Rancho Gordo Christmas Lima Beans

2 4 oz. halibut filets
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
salt & pepper

Lima Beans:
1/2 package Rancho Gordo Christmas Lima Beans
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Corn Cakes:
2 cups grits, cooked
1/2 cup corn kernals (can be frozen & defrosted)
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
salt & pepper

Salsa:
1 yellow tomato, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp good olive oil
crumbled feta cheese (I used a local goat feta cheese from Sterling Bridge Dairy)
salt & pepper

Directions:

To make the lima beans, soak them overnight. In the morning, place them in a slow cooker and cover with filtered water. Add the olive oil and slow cook them on low all day until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the corn cakes, add the corn kernals to the grits and season to taste with salt and pepper. In a cast iron or frying pan, heat the oil. Shape the grits into small, flat pancakes and fry them in the pan, flipping once, until golden and crisp on the outside. Set aside.

To make the salsa, combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, feta and thyme and toss together. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the halibut, salt and pepper both sides of the filets. In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat until almost smoking. Add the fish, sauteing on each side, until cooked through. Remove from heat.

To plate, place a corn cake in the center of the plate. Top with a piece of fish. Sprinkle lima beans around the plate. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of salsa on top of the fish. Enjoy!

Businesses Mentioned in This Post:

Rancho Gordo

Purveyor of heirloom beans, their product can be purchased online or at gourmet stores like Cube (see below). They also sell a cookbook on beans that can be purchased on Amazon.
Click here for their website!

Cube

615 N La Brea Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036-2013

(323) 939-1148

One of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, it's a combo restaurant and gourmet store. They specialize in Italian food and wines and feature a fabulous cheese bar. One of my favorite seasonal dishes is a peach, heirloom tomato, mozzarella & aged balsamic salad. They sell Rancho Gordo products.


Indigo Farms
(540) 763-2323
indigo@swva.net


Serving the New River Valley since 1993, they're providers of fresh seafood and specialty meats.
Click here to visit their website and see their schedule!

Sterling Bridge Dairy
242 Sterling Bridge Rd.
Willis VA, 24380

Producers of both fresh and aged cow's milk and goat's milk cheeses, they're a family run operation in Willis, VA. They raise their own grassfed livestock and use a variety of sustainable practices to ensure they make the highest quality cheese.
Click here to visit their website & read more about them!

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