Garlic and Bean Ragout, Potato Cake, Poached Egg

Driving to Truro from Provincetown the other day, rack of spare ribs in the rear seat to be smoked on the small grill in the backyard. Well, it’s less a backyard than a thin deck which rises up a hill of high grass bordered on the left by climbing grape vines at the summit of which blackberry bushes shoot out from the woods.

It’s a layout emblematic of the Outer Cape: unkempt without being overgrown, layered yet not manicured, subtle but interesting and varied. That day we discovered a pond at the end of a trail, empty of swimmers, with a tiny beach bookended by lily pads and tall, purple flowers.

After swimming, wrapped in towels, a lady came down the trail and waded into the water, stopping to say that her kids learned to swim in this very water. Like our yard or the acres of low marsh at the end of the street or the seals which play in the waves, it was the essence of the Cape.

At the wheel, I came upon a common theme: nothing is “taken”. Here, families learn from, rather than take from, the environment. Nature is appreciated, and we feel lucky to be able to enjoy it. The restaurants aren’t just okay but identical: roadside fried clams, lobster rolls, fish and chips, chowders, etc. and many are BYOB. It is what it is: locally sourced, pretty tasty, and highly casual. Things are scruffy and unpolished rather than “taken”, or removed, gutted, renovated, polished and replanted in the form of topiaries, leveled hedges, fancy menus, and upscale wine stores.

A few weeks ago the Times published a piece on the renewal of rich galas and outscaled dinner parties. Exhibit A was the birthday party hedge fund billionaire Leon Black threw for himself at his oversized Southampton beach house. Two hundred guests showed up to hear Elton John perform (paid $1 million dollars) and snack at the foie gras station.

It was, I thought, the perfect illustration of the anti-cape: taking rather than appreciating. Taking your ego and money a few hours east and replicating your giant Manhattan apartment; taking a hunk of beach and calling it your own, thereby prohibiting swimmers from enjoying the unparalleled Hamptons beaches. Taking the livers from hundreds of ducks and returning them, grotesquely fattened. (Caveat, I enjoy foie gras.)

I slapped the spare ribs on the grill, stepping over the tree branch cracked off by the recent hurricane, happy to be out of the house after a day of weather-induced confinement. Hurricane Irene passed through the Outer Cape yesterday, and we hunkered down, as instructed by tv and newspaper. We shut the windows, emptied out the jigsaw puzzles, and attempted to read The Dead to our 3-year-old. Mostly, we stood by the porch door, watching trees bend in the wind.

Crafting a meal from the pickings was a challenge bred mainly in defiance of the weathermen who ordered us to hoard pasta and canned soup.

When confronted with limited pantry items, I recommend going for texture. Texture is the ultimate boredom reliever-crunchy croutons scattered over a bowl of soup, say-after a day of puzzles and crummy tv.

Ironically, we were on the Cape, and not just the Cape, but also the Outer Cape, in other words a landing spot for the early settlers, who must have faced their own culinary challenges. Of course, texture likely wasn’t a major consideration as they rummaged for hardtack and attempted to fend off the urge to eat each other.

We were a bit more fortunate. Electricity allowed for eggs, and in case of power outage, the gas stove would come in handy. Otherwise we had a bag of dried beans (flageolet, brought up from home), dried ancho chiles, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and a potato.

Ready to dodge flying roof shingles, I stood over the cutting board contemplating texture. Beans, tomatoes, and eggs are soft; fried potatoes are crunchy. Done. Like a flavored risotto (asparagus, etc.), the beans would be a perfect vehicle, and so I tossed it with some hurricane ingredients necessarily elevated by a few techniques (roasting and confit) to avoid a mush of, well, raw hurricane food.

The result is tasty and, while somewhat involved, a relief from jigsaw puzzles and explaining The Dead to a pre-schooler.

(NOTE: forgive the vague measurements-the house didn’t come with a lot of kitchen equipment. Also, if your power blows out entirely, omit the eggs, it’s still pretty good. If the power goes out and you don’t have a gas stove, figure out something else. It’s also a recipe that takes a bit of time.)

Crisp Potatoes w/ Bean Ragout and a Poached Egg
Serves 4

For the Bean Ragout and Plating
2 cups dried beans (white or flageolet)
2 heads garlic, peeled into individual cloves
Olive oil
Roasted Tomatoes (see below)
Splash tomato oil and garlic oil (see below)
Potato Cake (see below)
Poached Egg (see below)
Salt and pepper

1. Soak the dried beans overnight in enough cold water to cover by several inches.
2. Add garlic to a small pot and cover with enough olive oil to cover by several inches (at least 2 cups, depending on the sized of the pot).
3. Place a sauté pan over a very low flame and the pot on top. This diffuses the heat and prevents the garlic from coloring too much. The oil should barely simmer.
4. Cook for about 45 minutes and remove from heat. The garlic should be very slightly colored and tender. Reserve and when cool, cover in oil, and refrigerate.
5. The next day, add the beans with the soaking water and more water to cover, again by several inches, in a large pot. Bring to a low simmer and cook, skimming occasionally until perfectly cooked i.e. tender inside but not mushy. Add water if necessary.
6. When cooked, drain the beans reserving the excess water and return to pot. Stir in enough reserved water to achieve a pourable, oatmeal-like consistency.
7. Gently fold in roasted tomatoes and garlic confit, stir in a splash of excess tomato oil and garlic confit oil, and season with salt and pepper.
8. To serve: spoon beans into bowls, top with a potato cake and poached egg.

For the Roasted Tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp chopped thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spread  the oil over a baking sheet and gently place the tomatoes cut side up over the sheet. Sprinkle with the thyme and garlic and season. Splash remaining oil over the top. Place in oven and roast for 30-45 minutes until a bit shriveled and colored. They can be a bit charred.
3. Let cool, cover and refrigerate.

For the Potato
1 russet potato, peeled and grated or julienned finely
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup flour
½ cup canola oil
salt and pepper

1. Toss the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl and season.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, scoop 1/3 cup of the mixture and drop gently into the pan. Press lightly into a round, cake shape.
3. Saute till crisp and browned, flip and repeat on other side. The inside should be cooked with no trace of raw potato, so test if necessary. Drain on paper towels and season.

For the Poached Egg
4 eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar

1. Bring a large pot of water with the vinegar to a very light simmer. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl, or, if easier, crack one into a cup, slide gently into the water and repeat with the remaining 3 eggs. Poach for 2-3 minutes, remove and drain on paper towels.