Bean Salad with Mixed Vegetables/Insalata di Fagioli con Vegetali

I have a confession - a love to make new dishes out of leftovers - especially for lunches. Yes, it is a rewarding challenge for me. Admittedly it doesn't always pay off, but when it does, it feels great. To that end, there are always some ingredients I keep in the pantry that when added to other things can transform them into something special. For example, I always keep cans of organic, high-quality beans on hand, especially Ceci/Garbanzos, Cannellini and Bianchi di Spagna/Butter Beans. The latter is my favorite for combining with other things; I particularly love the meatiness of the butter beans. The other day I had some grilled red peppers and grilled asparagus left over from the previous night. I combined them with the Bianchi di Spagna beans, some olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper and a few dashes of red wine vinegar and it was lovely. I tried almost the same thing yesterday, but used grilled zucchini in place of the asparagus and the combination was odd.

Other suggestions: Add canned tuna (in olive oil) to the above dish and/or finely chopped red onions.

This is my entry for Susan's "My Legume Love Affair" over at The Well Seasoned Cook. Susan has a fantastic blog full of a wide variety of recipes, and now this great event. Go on over and check her out.

Buon Appetito!