For Brian Yazzie, the executive chef of Gatherings Cafe inside the Minneapolis American Indian Center, this textural salad represents his two homes: the Southwest and Minneapolis. The tender Tepary beans and crumbles of goat cheese remind him of his Navajo roots. The beans are native to the Sonoran Desert, and goats are essential for food and clothing for Diné people. Dandelion greens are a local Minneapolis species that elder Hope Flanagan of Dream of Wild Health farm recently showed him and his team how to forage for. In his recipe, Yazzie seeks out the brown varieties of the Tepary beans—he loves the ones from Ramona Farms—because they excel at holding their shape and are native to the American Southwest. To balance their creaminess and the dandelion greens’ bitterness, he uses a combination of cranberries and sumac to create a bright, acidic vinaigrette.
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
Dressing
Beans and assembly
Preparation
Dressing
Step 1
Separate dark green top from scallion and chop. Finely chop remaining white and pale green parts; keep separate. Heat oil, mint, and dark green scallion top in a small saucepan over medium-low until just warm; let cool.
Step 2
Strain oil mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a blender; discard solids. Add white and pale green parts of scallion, garlic, cranberry juice, sumac, honey, onion powder, pepper, and a couple pinches of salt. Purée until dressing is smooth. (If using whole cranberries instead of juice, strain dressing.) Taste and season with more salt.
Beans and assembly
Step 3
If using, toast amaranth in a dry medium skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until most of the grains have popped open, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 4
Toss beans with ¼ cup dressing in a medium bowl; season with salt. Arrange greens on a plate; spoon beans over. Top with microgreens (if using), goat cheese, and amaranth and drizzle a little more dressing over.
