White bean & summer vegetable salad

Ingredients

• 200 g dried white beans, soaked overnight in cold water
• 1 bayleaf
• 2 medium courgettes
• 1/2 aubergine
• About a dozen baby plum or cherry tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 100 ml basil oil
• 25 ml lemon juice

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Preparation

• Drain and rinse the beans, then put them into a large pan with the bay leaf and plenty of cold water to cover.
• Bring to the boil over a high flame, skim the inevitable froth, then simmer till the beans are tender. Add a generous teaspoon of salt and simmer for a few more minutes.
• Meanwhile, halve the courgettes lengthwise, then cut into slices a little under a centimetre thick.
• You want the pieces to cook fairly quickly and make for a nice mouthful with the cooked beans. Cut the aubergine into 3 or 4 lengthwise, depending on its size, then cut into similar sized chunks to the courgettes.
  
• If small, leave the tomatoes whole. Flatten the unpeeled garlic with the blade of a knife. Put all the vegetables and garlic onto a flat, low sided baking tray and mix with a couple of tablespoons of the basil oil. Season.
• Bake in a moderate/gas4/200F oven for about 15 minutes then stir. Bake for a further 10 minutes or so till the vegetables are softened and taking on colour but still nice and juicy.
• Remove the tray from the oven and discard the garlic. Let the vegetables cool slightly till the beans are cooked. Drain the beans and wash with cold water for a minute.
• Make a simple dressing with the rest of the oil, the lemon juice and salt and pepper. In a large bowl mix the vegetables, including any oil on the tray, with the beans and the dressing.

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