Tuna & Cannellini Beans

If you came over for lunch, this is what I'd make for you

There are two “ingredients” that bring me to the dishes I get most excited about. One ingredient is me, a hungry monster who’s unsure of what to eat. The other is a feeling of creative resourcefulness and curiosity. What exists in these overlapping circles is usually, as was the case today, something so unbelievably delicious that I wanted to cry. Tears of joy and gratitude. Tears because food is magic. And tears for the friend(s) who weren’t with me to bear witness to the culinary creation of our time (humble).

If you’d been here for lunch today, this is what I would’ve made for you. And I would’ve sighed with relief that the concoction, born of resourcefulness and ferocious hunger, was a thing of magic. And we would have cheers’d to the good things in life over a glass of beautiful white wine (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!).

The tuna is sharp and elegant, tossed with white vinegar, whole grain mustard, olive oil & lemon juice. The beans are tender, herby and roasted, with slightly crisped scallions and fennel bulb. If you make this someday, please have it with a toasted piece of abundantly buttered sourdough bread and have a good cry.

2 servings

INGREDIENTS: ROASTED BEANS

• 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed/drained

• 2 scallions, sliced

• 1 small fennel bulb

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

• .5 tsp dried basil

• .5tsp dried dill weed

• salt & pepper

• lemon zest of .5 lemon

(When beans come out of the oven)

• lemon juice of .5 lemon

• lemon zest of remaining .5 lemon

• .5 grated garlic clove

INGREDIENTS: TUNA

• 1 jar of tuna (I used Oritz White Tuna in Olive Oil)

• 2 tsp white vinegar

• 1 tsp whole grain mustard

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• lemon juice of remaining .5 lemon

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F

2. Drain and rinse beans, transfer to a baking sheet

   1. When the oven is preheating or heated, I like to put whatever vegetable (or, this case legume) I’m using in the oven so that whatever water is present from rinsing has a chance to steam off

3. Slice scallions and fennel bulb (you could dice these up into smaller pieces if you want, but today I preferred more texture and used slices) and add this to your baking dish

4. Drizzle olive oil and white wine vinegar

5. Add the basil, dill weed, salt & pepper

6. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until you hear a gentle sizzling

(For the Tuna)

1. From the jar, take the tuna out and lightly break it apart with your fingers, trying to keep slightly larger pieces intact. If you want it mashed up, that’s your business.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together a rough dressing that consists of the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, whole grain mustard, salt & pepper.

3. Toss your pieces of tuna in the bowl with the dressing, set aside.

(When the beans come out of the oven)

1. Zest the remaining half of your lemon and sprinkle over the beans

2. Using a microplaner, grate about half a clove of garlic over top (yes, raw garlic)

3. Add juice from remaining half of lemon & stir.

(Serve)

1. Put a layer of the roasted beans on a plate and arrange the tuna over top.

2. Add fresh parsley (cyclospora be damned!) and pickled fresno peppers (or whatever pickled thing you have on hand would probably work).