Cheeses for sale in a market during the medieval fair in Ávila, Spain

sardinas, a photo by Michael Thon on Flickr.

Sardines cooked over an open fire on an ‘espeto’ (a wooden stick)

Ingredients

8 poblano chiles

6 eggs

3 heaping spoonfuls of self rising flour

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp chile powder

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups grated mild cheese (Monterrey Jack or something similar) + an extra 1/2 cup for topping

Directions

First, you’ll need to blacken the skins of the poblano chiles and peel them off.  I did this by putting them under the broiler and turning them every few minutes until the skins start to turn black all over.  After you take them out of the broiler, put them in a bowl and cover the bowl to let them steam for a while. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel off the skins, cut off the tops and remove the seeds.  Poblanos are sort of thin, so you might tear them while you peel them.  Don’t worry, this dish will come out fine anyway.

Mix 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheese with the garlic, green onions and 1 tsp of chile powder.  Spoon this mixture into the chiles and arrange in a greased casserole dish.  Beat the eggs together with the flour, salt and 1 tsp of chile powder, and pour over the chiles.  Sprinkle more cheese over the top and bake at 375F for 20-30 minutes, until the casserole starts to brown on top.

1. Soak the beans over night.  I’m sure you’ve read that you can quick-soak beans by soaking them in boiling water for an hour before you cook them.  I have even seen recipes that cook dry beans directly, without any soaking.  A long soaking time helps to remove a substance found in most beans (a protease inhibitor) that can lead to flatulence (farts!).  I usually put the beans to soak the evening before I plan to cook them, and change the water once or twice.
2. Bring the beans to a boil, drain, and then bring to a boil again.  I got this tip from a shop clerk in a tiny village that is known for their particularly large variety of white dry beans.  Just place the beans in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil, drain, and then they’re ready to use in your recipe.
3. Use a pressure cooker.  Pressure cookers are popular here is Spain but I haven’t seen one in the US in years.  A pressure cooker can cut the cooking time down by hours for soups and stews that contain dry beans.

Beans are a much more common part of the Spanish diet than they are in the US, although I’ve been told though that they’re decreasing in popularity.  Spain has a huge number of varieties, as you can see from the photo above.

Here’s a photo of some beans that we bought at a street market in Asturias, a region of Northern Spain.  I prepared them in a bean soup with kale and smoked sausages (also from Asurias).

Garlic

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients

2 Round zucchinis

8 Large white button mushrooms

1 Small onion

1 Clove garlic

1 Cup tomato sauce

4 Slices mozzarella cheese

Olive oil

Method

Wash the zucchinis and place them in a large sauce pan with enough water to ensure that they float.  Bring the water to a boil and let them boil gently for about 10 minutes, until the zucchinis just start to get soft.  Don’t overdo it or the zucchinis will turn to mush when you cut into them.  Take the zucchinis out of the water and put them in a bowl of cold water until they are cool enough to handle.  Cut them in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, making a cavity that you can fill.

Dice the mushrooms, onion and garlic into small cubes.  Saute in olive oil for about 5 minutes, then add a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce, stir it in and turn off the heat.  Fill the zucchinis and bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes.  Place a slice of cheese over each stuffed zucchini and put them under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese and brown it slightly.  Serve hot on a bed of tomato sauce.

* (Okay, technically they’re spherical but most people just call ‘em round)