Whether you eat meat or not, heirloom beans are one thing we should all be able to agree on. Heirloom beans, thanks in part to the phenomenally popular beans of Rancho Gordo, have seen an enormous renaissance these last few years. We've learned that beans can be so much more than mushy can-ified filler for tacos and soups. They can be rich, meaty, creamy, and full of flavor all on their own.
In fact, just today we were so inspired by a NY Times piece on Steve Sando and Rancho Gordo that we put out a pot of beans to soak!
Yesterday's piece featured Steve Sando and his rambunctious sense of humor. Apparently he had a very public spat with Slow Food's founder; he "said he favored growing disappearing foods over getting together to talk about them at fund-raisers." Oh boy. The article spotlights the success of Rancho Gordo and Steve's enthusiastic advocacy of New World and heirloom foods. You can read the rest of the article here:
• Field Report: Bean Counterculture, by Christine Muhlke
We've been big fans of these beans for a long time; you can see an early interview with Steve we ran a few years ago: Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Food.
But I still don't cook beans as often as I would like. Fortunately that article prompted me to get a pot ready for an impromptu dinner party tonight. There was still time to put the beans to soak, and to cook them for a couple hours before dinner. These are creamy pale Mayacoba beans from Rancho Gordo; I'm planning to cook them with onion and garlic until soft and then just toss them with a light vinaigrette and some herbs. They'll make a great side dish to some chicken, but they would also be a fabulous vegetarian dinner on their own.
If you'd like to try a pot of beans (with or without meat!) here are a few past recipes to try, some of them from Sando's new Heirloom Beans cookbook (read our review here).
• Borlotti Beans in Tomato Sauce with Creamy Polenta
• Florida Butter Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon
• Italian Marrow Beans with Tuna
• Basil Parmesan Pot Beans
• How to Cook Beans
What was the last thing you made with beans?
(Image: Faith Durand)
does ayone have any tips for using parm rind to flavor beans? my brain can't imagine that it could be as simple as just throwing it in the pot.
view nenasadije's profile
All this press wonderful coverage means, that if you're a fan, like I am, now is the time to stock up.
Happiness is a pantry fully stocked with Rancho Gordo Beans!
view Tolovana's profile
Rancho Gordo beans are wonderful, colorful personality or not. We always stock up at the Ferry Building market while in SF.
view JudiAU's profile
I made bean soup with Rancho Gordo bean last night! Whenever I use those beans my husband comments on how great they are, without even knowing they're RG. To be honest, if I didn't taste them I would be skeptical of the price, but they really are a cut above, and make the whole meal great.
view SFGail's profile
nensadije:
Parmesan cheese is a very salty cheese with a strong flavor, so yes, just throwing the rind in the pot during cooking will season the beans. Strange as it seems, it does work. The general idea is to use the hard part that is pretty difficult to grate anyway. Parmesan Reggiano cheese from Italy is cured for up to two years, according to the book named "Salt", and since the brine permeates from the outside in, the rind is salt-rich.
view JD523's profile
Steve Sando's beans are worth every penny! If you think about it, a cupful of beans makes a lot of food, so it makes sense cook with them if you're looking for inexpensive, nutritious, delicious meals.
@nenasadije: Parmagiano rinds are dynamite in soups. Just make sure to scrub the outside of the rind before adding it to the soup. I don't think that it adds much salt, but it does give a pot of bean or vegetable soup a lovely rich flavor.
view pingarina's profile
We have a pot of Mayacas in the oven right now! Flavored with the broth of a beef shank from Skagit Farms, along with some pureed vegetables and masala.
view ts's profile
ts:
Inspired by your reference to the Skagit Farms beef shank, I ran over to the U-District farmers market and bought some. Thanks for the inspiration--on these drippy days I have to force myself to leave the house. JD
view JD523's profile
Rancho Gordo rules! The last thing I made with their borlotti beans was a kind of hummus...just cooked the beans with plenty of garlic and vegetable broth, saved the beans and cooking broth separately and then whizzed up in the food processor about 2 cups of cooked beans with a bit of the broth, more garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Delish with bits of corn tortilla. Also cooked a batch of the beans in your illustration...Mayacoba...and they taste a bit like baked potato when cooked. Beautiful pale green color, too. Look great in a jar on an open shelf.
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