Feb 24, 2026 -Ann is in OurLittleCorner today
Seeds and Sonoma Clouds
When my head is in the clouds, I sometimes envision my next life. I would like to be able to develop recipes like Melissa Clark, write like Ian McEwan, sing like Lucinda Williams, and be an intellect like Heather Cox Richardson. And I’d like to look like Martha Stewart, Kim Kardashian, Steph Curry…TBD.
If you’re not familiar with Heather Cox Richardson, she’s a history professor at Boston College and has a presence on Substack, YouTube, Facebook, and Threads – and she sends out an email daily with political/historical analysis that almost everyone we know subscribes to; it’s called “Letters from an American.” But today I want to focus on her normal weekend email, which features a gorgeous, calming nature photo instead of a letter. She lives on the coast of Maine (her husband is a lobster fisherman), so it’s easy for her to find such beauty.
I’m manifesting myself today as Heather Cox Richardson, taking a deep breath and making my blog – with this beautiful Sonoma, California, photo – short and sweet.
California has several wild mustard varieties. One of them is Brassica nigra – or black mustard (fyi: the milder yellow mustard seeds come from Sinapis – or brassica – alba). If you want to know more about Brassica nigra, California’s non-native plant, and its pros and cons, read this from Thrillist and this from PBS. But if you just want to just kick back, enjoy a beautiful almost-spring day, and chat with dear friends, while enjoying delicious food, you might try this recipe which is a riff on a Melissa Clark recipe.
Black Mustard Seeds and Green Beans with Cashews and Coconut
- 1/2 c unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 1/2 T vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (1/4″ thick) coins fresh ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Large pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf (or a few curry leaves)
- 5 basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (omit if you used curry leaves)
- 1 lb green or wax beans, trimmed
- 3/4 tsp Diamond kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/3 c chopped roasted cashews (salted or unsalted, to taste)
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Place a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add coconut flakes and toast, shaking pan occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer flakes to a bowl.
Heat oil in the same skillet. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop (about 45 seconds), then quickly add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, red pepper flakes and bay leaf (or curry leaves). Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
Stir in basil, green beans and salt. Toss well to coat in oil and seasonings.
Add 1/3 c water, cover partly and reduce heat to medium. Cook until beans are tender, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and the beans are wilted and lightly colored. Toss in cashews and coconut flakes. Serve over rice, with lime wedges.
If nice fresh string beans aren’t available at your market, try roasting some red or golden beets, and serving them with this mustard seed dressing from David Tanis and the NYTimes.
Black Mustard Seed and Dijon Mustard Dressing
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 T rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 T prepared horseradish
- Salt and pepper
- 4 T vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp nigella seeds (optional)
To make the vinaigrette combine the shallot, lemon juice, rice vinegar, mustard and horseradish in a small bowl. Stir in a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in 3 T vegetable oil.
Heat a very small skillet with 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and nigella seeds. As soon as the seeds begin to pop (about 1 minute) remove from the heat. Add the popped seeds and oil to the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasoning.