A mixture of beans, healthy you say. Yes, as beans are an excellent source of protein and therefore contain most of the essential amino acids or those building blocks that your body needs for growth and sustained good health.

In South Africa, which is still very much a farming type of community, where the culinary prowess of the daughters in the family, are held in great esteem, and this still adds to her dowry in most of the far flung districts.

So when you stumble upon such a gem, that can make the traditional "BOONTJIESLAAI" (bean salad) with the tastiest dressing or "SOUS", that has you reaching for a "VETKOEK" to wipe the last drops of dressing from the bottom of your plate. Then you know you have found a gem of a woman.

These recipes very seldom see the light of day in print, as the are passed from generation to generation, eldest daughter to eldest daughter.

See Vetkoek for the recipe, no "BRAAIVLIES" (BBQ or cookout) is complete without it.

For a family of 4 to 6 people. The traditional way of making this, many many years ago, would have been, a cup each of the following beans:-

Dried Broad Beans - Soaked overnight and slow cooked until soft and tender, but still in their skins.

Red Haricot Beans - Soaked overnight and again slow cooked until they to are soft and remain in their skins.

Small White Kidney Beans- Soaked overnight and slow cooked in a sauce. This sauce is made up of tomato and onion and seasoned with salt and pepper, thickened with a bit of cornflour. The beans are cooked together until soft and tender and still in their skins.

Runner Green Beans - Cut into sections of an inch in length, then cooked until they are just soft.

All the beans must be left to cool down to room temperature.

The beans, with the exception of the beans in the tomato sauce, are then drained and transfered to the serving dish. Mixed together carefully but not broken up or mashed.

The beans and tomato sauce are then carefully combined with the other beans.

A note of caution there must not be too much tomato sauce, otherwise the taste of tomato would overpower all the other subtle flavours.

The above process would not only be the Naturopathic way but as wells those who of you who are strictly organic.

For the rest of us, who enjoy a salad, and either do not have the time forthe drawn out preparation process or simply cannot be bothered to go through that long drawn out proceess.

Then here is the modern mans way of doing things, as it quick and easy style of preparing it.

If you want to save even more time in the preparation department. Then put the cans in the refrigerator unopened of course, and leave them overnight, then all you have to do is the opening of the cans follow the recipe, and serve>

Ingredients

1 can Butter Beans in brine, drained

1 can Baked Beans in tomato sauce - Do not drain

1 can Red Beans in brine, drained

1 can Green Beans in brine, drained

Method

Combine all the beans in a mixing bowl. Place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, so that are nice and cool.

Making Of The Dressing

Ingredients

15ml (1 Tablespoon) of Castor sugar

2 - 5ml (1/2 -1 teaspoon) of mustard powder, depending on taste

15ml (1 Tablespoon) of Virgin Olive Oil

60ml (4 Tablespoons) of white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

5ml (1 Teaspoon) of freshly chopped Basil or Coriander, Oregano

Freshly ground black or mixed pepper to taste.

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl, add the vinegar and oil, then whisk all the ingredients until all the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the bowl of beans from the refrigerator and combine the dressing to the beans. Mix well and return to the refrigerator to rest for an hour.

There is your 4 Bean Salad.

This is for those people who enjoy that special nutty taste and crunch of Chick Peas.

Substitute the Red Beans for Chick Peas. Then again if you really want to as this is your salad, don't substitute, just add a tin of drained chick peas to the bowl.