A maxim

Periodically sick kids.  Definitely not amongst my favourite memories.  And yet, here we are again.  It's been a long winter.  Not because of the cold, but because of the colds.  

Owing to that, or perhaps to my tendency towards inertia, we've been surviving on bean salads for the past week.  Many different variations, to be sure.  But they've definitely become my go-to food.  My own particular favourite is a fresh and colourful version requiring red kidney beans.  Hearty beans and fresh vegetables.  It's a sort of transition dish to match the turning of winter to spring.  

Don't upset yourself with this recipe.  Some recipes are exacting.  Quantifiable.  Not this one.  This is one of those "taste and see" types.  The lemon juice provides a pleasant zing to reconcile the beans and vegetables.  How much zing required is, most emphatically, a personal choice.  Myself, I use a 1:1 ratio of acid and oil.  Otherwise, I cannot offer much coaching.  Embrace your inner empirical self and go with it.  

Oh, and by the way, this particular salad goes smashingly with french fries.  Not thin and wimpy fries.  Thick, meaty, steak-cut wedges.  Think crisp exterior with a mushy heart.  And ketchup.  At least, M thinks so.  His life is organized into what can and cannot be eaten with ketchup.  Fries without ketchup?  Blasphemy.  

I'll leave you with another bite to ponder.  A morsel of food to digest.  Not to long ago, someone directed my attention to a list of 55 maxims.  The whole list resonated with me, but I especially liked #31.  

Be simple, hidden, quiet and small.

FRESH BEAN SALAD

1 can Kidney beans, warmed (I use about 2 cups dried beans and boil them until they're tender)

1/2 English cuccumber, diced

1 Roma tomato, diced

1 small onion, diced

generous drizzle of lemon juice

generous drizzle of vegetable oil

salt, to taste

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Enjoy warm or cold.