A while back I wrote a recipe for corned beef hash that had a number of different vegetables in addition to the usual suspects present in a hash.  In that post, I mentioned that hash is great with just vegetables or almost all vegetables.  Here, hash is lightened up with a mix of potatoes including sweet potatoes, fresh cranberry beans (which are in season right now), Tuscan kale, and a myriad of other vegetables all brought together with a bit of lardons and topped with a fried egg.  This is an easy ‘go-to’ dinner that Tara and I have not too infrequently.  It’s filling and fairly quick as it takes just under an hour or so to pull together.  I didn’t make this with an egg but usually will serve this with either a poached egg or fried egg on top.  I can’t remember why we decided against the egg the night I made this…we probably figured the hash was enough.  However, we love eggs and love eggs for dinner and this dish is a perfect canvas with which to use eggs.  So, it works for us on a number of levels…eggs or not!  Couple all the vegetables with the high fiber and protein of the fresh beans and this dish really packs a lot of nutritional punch.  Really, you can just look at the picture of the dish with all the various colored vegetables and you know it’s at least somewhat good for you.  They say eating the rainbow is the best way to get all of the various nutritional elements needed in your diet.  This dish succeeds in that regard.

If you are wondering what lardons are, it’s simply slab bacon that is sliced thick and then the thick slices are cut into thick matchstick-like shapes.  They are sweated over low heat, releasing the fat from the bacon.  They shouldn’t be overcooked and turned into little bacon bits.  Rather, they should be slightly chewy with some of the fat remaining on the inside while still having an ever so slight crunch on the outside.  They are very tasty and classically, they are used in frisee salads with a poached egg in French cuisine (and in other classic dishes as well).  If you can’t find slab bacon (unsliced), skip it.  There’s not need to use regular bacon here.  Just use grapeseed oil or some other vegetable oil.  Likewise, if you prefer to keep the hash completely vegetable based, just skip the lardons.  It will be great either way.

P.S.- Parboiled means partially boiled and for potatoes, typically that takes between 15-20 minutes.  Bring the water to a boil, place the potatoes in the boiling water and cook 15-20 minutes or until you can put a fork into the potato easy but still meet some resistance in the middle.

Recipe follows after the jump…

Ingredients:

1.5-2 Cups fresh cranberry beans

2 Medium sweet potatoes, parboiled

2 Medium yellow potatoes, parboiled

1 Red bell pepper, chopped

1 Onion, chopped coarsely

1 Green onion, sliced thinly

1 Tomato, seeded and chopped coarsely

1 Bunch of Tuscan kale, wilted

1 Cup lardons (slab bacon sliced about ½ inch thick)

Kosher salt and red pepper flakes

Olive oil

1 Egg per person, poached for fried (optional)

Instructions:

• Parboil the potatoes and set aside.
• Wilt the Tuscan kale in a pan over medium heat for a minute or two with a dash of olive oil and a slash of water. When wilted, remove spinach with tongs and set on some paper towels and then set aside.  Add a touch of salt over the top.
• Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil. While that is happening, shell the beans and give them a quick rinse.
• When the water is boiling, add a touch of olive oil to the water and then add the beans. Cook the beans on medium heat, covered until beans are cooked through (about 20 minutes).  Drain beans and season with salt and red pepper flakes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the beans and then set aside.
• Chop and slice the remaining vegetables (the onion, green onion, red bell pepper, and seeded tomato). Set aside.
• Take the ½ thick slice of bacon and slice it again into squared matchsticks. Place a large pan or cast iron skillet over medium low heat and then add the lardons to the pan. Slowly cook the lardons turning them over occasionally until they are slightly browned and have rendered off some of their fat.  Remove the lardons from the pan set aside.
• Turn the heat on the pan up to medium high. Chop the yellow and sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces.  Add a bit of olive oil to the pan and then add the potatoes.  Cook the potatoes until crispy and browned.  Reduce heat to medium and add the onion and red bell pepper.  Add a pinch of salt to the pan and a touch of red pepper flakes.
• Cook until the onions are cooked through and are starting to brown a bit, about 8 minutes or so.
• Reduce heat to low and add the cranberry beans to the pan. Stir to combine and heat through, about a couple of minutes.
• Squeeze the kale releasing some of the water and then add the spinach to the pan. Cook another 30 seconds or so.  Do not stir the spinach into the vegetables.  Then add the tomatoes and turn the heat off.  Add the lardons back into the pan.
• Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt or more red pepper flakes.

To serve, place some of vegetable hash into the center of a bowl or plate.  Then add the Tuscan kale over the top of the vegetables.  Drizzle this mixture with a bit of olive oil over the top.  If using eggs, add an egg over the top of the spinach.  Garnish with the thinly sliced green onions.  Serve while hot/warm.