Zucchini with Butter Beans + Goats Curd
This was the best thing my Irishman and I ate when we were in London. Hands down. And there was some pretty stiff competition. We had the zucchini as part of a lovely little lunch at St. John Bread & Wine. Next time you’re in London, make sure you eat there. Truly inspirational.
And yes, this ain’t paleo, but of course I’ve got you covered in the variations below if dairy and/or legumes aren’t your thing.
enough for: 2
takes: 25 minutes
4 medium zucchini (courgettes), thickly sliced crosswise
1 can butter beans (400g / 14oz), drained + rinsed well
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sherry or wine vinegar
8 tablespoons goats curd or other soft cheese
1. Heat about 8 tablespoons of olive oil on a medium heat in a large frying pan. Add zucchini and over medium heat, turning every 5 minutes or so until the zucchini is golden brown and very soft. (Take at least 15 minutes, ‘slow and steady’ is the key here to concentrating the zucchini flavour).
2. Drain and rinse butter beans well then add to the pan when the zucchini is soft. When the beans are hot, remove the pan from the heat.
3. Combine mustard and vinegar in a little bowl then toss over the hot beans and zucchini so they get mixed with the cooking oil to make an irresistible sauce.
4. Divide zucchini and beans between 2 plates and top with goats curd.
Variations
paleo (legume + dairy-free) – replace beans with a handful of roasted almonds and replace cheese with chunks of avocado or a drizzle of tahini sauce (equal parts tahini and lemon juice).
carnivore / more substantial – serve as a side to roast or pan fried chicken or fish.
more veg – toss in some baby spinach, salad leaves or parsley leaves before serving. Add other summer veg like red peppers (capsicum) or eggplant (aubergine).
vegan / dairy-free – replace cheese with chunks of avocado or a drizzle of tahini sauce (equal parts tahini and lemon juice).
butter bean alternatives – replace beans with other white beans, chickpeas, cooked quinoa or cooked pasta.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
zucchini – will keep for 2 weeks or longer in a plastic bag in the fridge. To keep it even longer, cook sliced zucchini in a little butter until just soft then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
butter beans / Dijon mustard / sherry or wine vinegar – keep them in the pantry.
goats curd – freeze it.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the goats curd separately. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
A great substitute for goat cheese is labneh, but I don’t know how readily available it is in other countries. Apparently it’s easy to make by straining full fat plain yoghurt with added salt for 24 hours in the fridge. It’s such a delicious taste sensation that it’s well worth a try. Honest
Great idea Pamela! And yes labneh is super easy to make… the only hard part is figuring out the type of cloth to use. I ordered a cheesecloth from a cheese making store but muslin, calico or a clean tea towel will all work. Just rinse with boiling water before the first use. I keep my cloth for just making labneh and rinse in hot water straight after using then hang up to dry.
Really worth the initial effort!
Jx