Simple & Hearty Late-Summer Salad

(I wanted to start by wishing the best to all the folks dealing with hurricane season this year. Hang in there!)

I’ll count my blessings that up here the weather has been quite civilized. I think I’ve commented before how Fall is my favorite season. It’s like baby bear’s porridge: not too hot, not too cold… it’s just right! We ate lunch outside today after whipping up the following salad that was simple, hearty and delicious.

Served 2
1 cup mayacoba beans
2 italian sausages, medium spicy
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1/2 jalapeno pepper
large handful of red and/or orange cherry tomatoes
2 large handfuls of flat-leaf parsley
2 lemons
olive oil
salt and pepper

I used mayacoba beans from Rancho Gordo, but any favorite salad bean can be swapped in here. Mayacoba beans take on flavor well and are nicely meaty. I cooked the beans without soaking until tender (about an hour) before making the salad. To cook, cover the beans with about an inch of water in a saucepan, bring to a boil for a couple of minutes, and then lower to a light simmer and cover. Cooking time will depend on bean type and age, so you can check for tenderness by biting into a bean periodically.

Grill or saute the italian sausage, then cut into 1/3 to 1/2 inch slices at an angle.

Slice the green and red peppers into thin strips, and cut any long strips in half so they are not unmanageable on the fork. Halve the cherry tomatoes, and chop up the parsley. De-seed the jalapeno and finely chop.

Combine it all in a bowl. Grind a bit of salt and pepper on top, add some lemon juice (I used the juice of 2 small lemons) and a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Mix gently and let it sit for about 10 minutes before mixing again and serving.