As with many of my recipes, this was created as a result of what was left in the bottom of my fridge! In this instance, I had a glut of fresh tomatoes, a few stalks of celery, fresh herbs and some sausages.
I usually serve sausages with my herby mixed bean and tomato stew, which uses tinned tomatoes, but decided to create a bean dish that celebrated the fresh tomatoes. The result is a much lighter dish, which would also work well with lamb or even white fish.
The game changer here is the good splash of sherry, an idea I've taken from one of Nigel Slater's recipes. If you don't have sherry, then a dry white wine will work too - but whatever you do, don't miss it out!
Serves 4 (as a main with sausages)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large white onion
2 sticks of white* celery
2 large garlic cloves
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
675g fresh, ripe, medium-sized tomatoes
400g tin of cannellini beans in water
Good splash of sherry
Seasoning
* not the greener outer sticks
- Peel the onion and garlic.
- Finely dice the onion and celery.
- Remove the leaves from the rosemary stalks and finely chop.
- Quarter the tomatoes.
- Drain the beans.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, over a low to medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery and rosemary to the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Crush or finely grate the garlic and add it to the pan. Stir for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, fresh thyme leaves and a good splash of sherry. Season well and stir until the ingredients are well combined.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the the heat, cover and simmer on a low heat for 25 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and the beans have really softened.
- Let it cool for a few minutes and then taste and adjust the seasoning if required.
