Bean Salad with Lime

Limes are plentiful at the Hollywood Farmers Market at the moment. I brought some home and used them in the bean salad we ate this week. Larry says it's hard to stop eating, it's so good.

I made it with the Christmas lima beans I buy at the farmers market. They have a great texture for bean salad - I hesitate to call them meaty, but they do have a munchiness to them. Cannelini or kidney beans would be good too.

If you're using canned beans, use 3 14-oz cans. Drain them and rinse them well to get rid of the tinny flavor.

And if you'll be home for a couple of hours of an evening, try cooking dried beans. Let them simmer on the back burner while you cook dinner, making sure to keep them covered with an inch of water at all times, and taste one occasionally to see if it's cooked - not crunchy, but not mushy either. If you've never liked bean salads because of the texture of the beans, cooking them from scratch will convert you, because you have complete control over what texture the beans will have.

A little red onion would be a nice addition - I don't eat raw onions when I'm working out of consideration for my afternoon clients, but on a weekend it would be good.

Bean Salad with Lime
1 1/4 cup Christmas lima beans or other large bean
1 1/2 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 large stalk celery, diced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup cilantro

Cook the beans in simmering water until tender but not mushy.

Squeeze the limes and put the juice into a large bowl. Add the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Whisk well.

When the beans are cooked, drain them and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Let cool, stirring occasionally. Stir in the celery and cilantro.

Taste before serving and add extra salt, lime juice or cilantro to taste.

Serves 4-6