Cooking batches of basics means you can look at the stash of this or that in your fridge not as leftovers but as raw materials for a new palette of flavours.

Earlier this week we cooked a batch of cannellini beans, lovely legumes from Zürsun, and used most of them in a chili verde. I held back a small amount with no particular plan, other than probably to use with not too much garlic. I had a vague idea of the remaining beans in their liquor being slightly mashed, so I heated them up and then added some Fuller’s Paravangna Blend and a bit more marjoram, then some bits of shaved Grana Padano and Comté.

Meanwhile I brought water to just below a boil to poach eggs and washed and spun dry a bit of wild arugula, dribbling with a bit of olive oil and balsamic. I had some lovely corn-wheat blend tortillas with green chile included, so we were set.

The inspiration for cheese in the beans was a nod to my oft-ordered breakfast at Della Fattoria, their gruyere-spiked polenta topped with a poached egg. My other breakfast favourite off their menu tops a lightly dressed salad with farm fresh poached eggs + bacon that takes my mind to Lyon.

Serves 2

Beans:
1.5 cups cooked white beans including a bit of the cooking liquor
1-2 ounces shaved Grana Padano + Comté (or similar blend of hard + firm cheeses)
generous pinch of Paravangna Blend
pinch of additional dry marjoram

Heat beans on low until just bubbling gently mashing the beans a bit. Add herbs + cheese, stirring until incorporated and melted. Let simmer gently a few minutes before you begin poaching the eggs

Greens:
rinse, then dry a handful of fresh arugula
dress with a small drizzle of EVOO and balsamic, toss

2 poached eggs:
my method is to keep the water just below boil, add some vinegar and a 1/4 teaspoon salt and swirl the water before tipping in the eggs from individual ramekins, then cook just ‘til the white is set but the yolk bright and still soft.

Warmed tortillas

plating:
shallow small bowls sitting on dinner plates
into shallow bowls, ladle hot white bean mixture, then place a light amount of dressed greens on the beans and on the plate of each serving. Top beans + greens in bowls with poached egg on each, then place warm tortilla on plate along with the rest of the greens and serve.