White Bean and Arugula Salad

The birthday boy!

I have plenty of excuses for not writing in nearly four months, but I'm sure you don't care. They include things like work, family, travel, PUPPY, Thanksgiving, and life, but we'll get on the the reason you've checked out KitchenAte today. This is a post I started in September...

Meet Penny! She has been one source of my distraction this fall.

[Since, I deleted the pictures of the dish from my phone, I'll be inserting pictures from this fall for entertainment.]

Make sure you make this salad/appetizer/side when you have a crowd around. If not, you will eat the entire thing by yourself...and that may not be the best for your system. But boy, is it good. I have made this for both adventurous eaters and the discerning pallets, and I have never had leftovers.

This dish was served at my grandfather's birthday dinner, and let me tell you, it wasn't your typical seventy-seven (or according to my grandmother, se'mty-se'm) year old's party. Both of these grandparents are as spry as when they were my age and travel just as much as I do--and I travel for work! Heck, Pop even goes swimming in the ocean in the winter and finds it totally refreshing (maybe this is the fountain of youth, and we are all too cowardly to attempt such a feat).

Meet my sassy Grandmother...grating cheese for one of my other recipes.

We are not the most sentimental family...and by not-the-most, I mean, we don't even like singing the birthday song, because it's too "sweet." "Oh My Darlin'" was the token anthem this year.

All of the grandchildren and Pop singing "Oh My Darlin'"

My grandfather, affectionately called Bop, Pop, or Papa depending on which grandchild you ask, is a phenomenal writer, and we have been graced with some of his words lately. Like most of my family members, he is very private, so we have not had the fortune of reading much of his work.

At his birthday, my grandmother shared one of Pop's newly-recorded stories. During which, Pop went swimming on an empty beach (it was wintertime, of course), and he washed ashore in front of a lone woman. She asked if he was her guardian angel. To which Pop responded, "Ma'am, I've been called a lot of things in my day, but 'guardian angel' hasn't been one of them."

It was a beautifully written story depicted so vividly with Pop's words that we all thought we were on the beach. His stories are always insightful, sentimental, and entertaining. We were all moved to tears. Literally. Everyone had tears in his/her eyes. We didn't know if it was because of the story itself, or the way it was written, or the fact that we were thankful for Papa writing more recently. Or maybe we had all contracted a case of the "Granny" which makes you cry at any given time for no real/describable reason. Or maybe it was the drinks...

Katie and me at dinner in Vegas for my birthday! I have great friends.

After the tears were dried and the cake eaten, the family dance party ensued. Phew, back to our old selves. So while there was a sudden lapse in our familial stoicism, we quickly returned to the fun-loving, care-free group we were just pages before.

Elle and Matt dancing.

This is a great side to serve at a picnic, topper for a crostini, or appetizer to share with your most precious loved ones. Who knows, it might even move them to tears.

I have a horrible job. I had to go to Bermuda for work.

 Recipe:

1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 - 3 large handfuls of arugula
  *if you can't find arugula, chiffonade spinach or use watercress
juice from 1 lemon
splash red wine winegar
gulp of olive oil
salt and pepper (or seasoning salt) to taste

Toss all ingredients together until well-coated. Serve as a side or salad. If you'd like to use this as a topping for crostini, slice and lightly toast slices of a baguette.

Penny says, "Enjoy!"