My Basil Meditation

It is amazing to me how something so simple as fresh basil from the garden can soothe my fretted mind so.  The quiet walk to the garden, snipping the basil top, and giving gratitude to the plant for feeding us.  Back to the kitchen to stand still and inhale the aroma, experiencing.

I love cooking simple food the best.  Summer is full of these opportunities.  For dinner last night I made a little bean salad.  I used black beans and white.  These white beans are fagioli occhio nero, which upon looking it up on the internet, are simply tiny little black eyed peas.  I used about a cup of each.

I cooked the beans together in the same pot, which gave me an end product of light purplish beans and dark purplish beans.  Next time I'll do two separate pots to get a better visual contrast.  Pick over the beans and rinse them, put them in a pot (or two), cover with water and bring to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat, cover and let them sit for 1 hour.  Rinse them again, add fresh water and put them back on the stove.   Put the heat on medium and let them simmer until tender to the bite, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  You want them to still be firm enough to hold their shape, and not be mushy.  Drain off the water.  You can save this liquid to make good soup.

Put a couple tablespoons of good quality, extra virgin olive oil in a pan.  Heat it up and then add 1 large clove of garlic, chopped.  Cook just until tender; don't let it burn.  Add this to the beans, along with about a 1/4 cup more olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 cup finely diced onion, and half a cup or more of chopped, fresh basil.  Stir it up and let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours.  Take it out about 30 minutes before you are ready to eat.

So yum:)

**edit**  Add a finely chopped jalapeño or other spicy pepper, or some red pepper flakes too:)