Spicy Thai Bean Salad with Bacon

Oh my gosh, you guys, I had so much fun putting this recipe together!  I had never even seen purple beans before and I was so excited to get them from the farm.  I wanted to spice it up so I thought Thai was the best way to go and then, of course, slipping some bacon in there just made it extra delicious!

This dressing is popping with flavours – lime, honey, Thai chilies and chili paste, garlic, ginger, and more.  Toss the cilantro in there and you have a bean salad that is dancing on your taste buds.

This past Saturday was Customer Appreciation Day at Nicholyn Farm and, despite the drizzle of rain on and off, it was a great event.  It was an opportunity to meet many of the unique suppliers to their store and I’m always amazed at the talented people who live locally.  These are just a few of the folks who participated in the day.

I’ve used the delicious Temiskaming cheese from Thornloe Cheese on my appetizers with Rhubarb Chutney and do you remember your grandmother telling you that the milkman used to bring bottles to the door?  And it had cream on top?  Sheldon Creek Dairy supplies the farm with that milk and I can’t get enough!

It was great to see my friend, Paula there from SoupHerbSoups with the tastiest Broccoli & Cheddar soup I’ve ever had.  The  broccoli she uses is locally grown and everyone was raving about the flavours.

Melissa was grilling hot dogs for everyone and there were even some local musicians there to keep things lively!

And this is Fran from Not Yer Granny’s Granola.  Isn’t that the best name?!  I’ve exchanged emails and FB comments with Fran but this is the first time we’d had a chance to meet.  She’s a ball of fire and we’re already planning a project together that will involve the farms and Paula and her fabulous soups!  It’s all about local love and collaboration – can’t wait!

So back to this colourful deliciousness.  Did you know that some of the purple beans actually turned green when I blanched them? That was a surprise.  The trick to cooking beans is to cook them as little as possible using the smallest amount of water possible.  I generally do them 4 minutes max on a gentle boil and put them in an ice bath for the same duration.  This will stop the cooking process and keep them crispy.

If the prospect of using Thai chilies for your salad is too daunting, a little red pepper works fine.  Don’t skimp on any of the other ingredients though as they all marry together to create a unique and complementary flavour for the beans.  Just leave out the bacon and fish sauce if you’re wanting a vegetarian or vegan dish.

I also picked up some chicken and fresh raspberries at the farm.  Hmmmm…raspberry glazed drumsticks might be up next!  Cheers!

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