Rancho Gordo in Your Eye

[Gary Soup]

Strolling through the Ferry Building at lunch time, my eye was caught by an attractive display of nothing other than Rancho Gordo beans. (Actually it was the lustful babe on the label that snagged me.) It was front and center, at the entrance to the Village Market. A variety of colorful dried beans plus a couple of of other veggie things (cilantro and chiles?). I wasn't in the market for beans, but I bought the last bag of RG tortilla chips -- tasty, natural and macho enough to handle the toughest dipping jobs.

Citybound Rancho Gordo fans, now you know where to go!

[rancho_gordo]

I'm burstin' with pride that my "soul bro", Gary Soup, got to sample my chips and actually liked them. Can I borrow that "macho" reference? I think it's great.

I was serving Pozole Verde in the store last week from my dried pozole/posole/hominy. People liked it until they found out they'd have to make it themselves. It's a little discouraging that even in a food aficianado's destination, like the Marketplace in the Ferry building, most people still want clever, pre-made food. Still, it was fun being back in the city after months.

Thanks for the plug! I'm blushing!

[jschyun]

Maybe you can branch out with a couple really good prepared things? Let's face it, the people shopping at Ferry Market can/will pay top dollar for something like that. You have something unique and I admit, that I am a (spendthrift yuppie) FM shopper that would buy it. I have no time to cook, and I think that's the case for most FM shoppers.

[rancho_gordo]

This is probably a new topic, or maybe it's been covered, but can a "foodie" (hate the word!) be a non-cook? I'm sure the answer is going to be yes, but I can't understand how someone who loves good food (and even grows it, as in the case of our own jschyun) not want to play with it in the kitchen.

I'm so busy I'm about to loose my mind but I still manage to keep a pot of beans on the crockpot every few days. And make salsa and a dinner salad.

[jschyun]

Well, yeah, weird ain't it? I personally would love to start my own brand of chocolates. I would also love to master the art of the consistently perfect har gau. Maybe when I become independently wealthy, I'll start bringing magnificent jewel boxes of chocolates to the potlucks. Meanwhile, I'll just have to suffer and continue to eat storebought gelato, chocolates and eat at Koi Palace. Woe is me.

Maybe if I didn't buy so much crap, I would be independently wealthy by now. hmm....

--oh wait, I was totally off the off-topic. I love to cook, but I have no kitchen and no time. For now.

Edited May 19, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[tanabutler]

Hey, I posted about Rancho Gordo's beans in the very first post of the Ferry Plaza thread I started. I bought some beans-- Rio Zapé beans -- the beans that inspired the legend that is Rancho Gordo!

Here's the display at Ferry Plaza, in front of Village Market.

I'll take a photo of the beans when I cook them.

Edited May 19, 2004 by tanabutler (log)

[Gary Soup]

Hey, I posted about Rancho Gordo's beans in the very first post of the Ferry Plaza thread I started. I bought some beans-- Rio Zapé beans -- the beans that inspired the legend that is Rancho Gordo!

I guess you get the prize!

I had never seen them before at the Village Market, at least not outside (I seldom have reason to go inside). And when I asked the woman at the register how long they'd been carrying Rancho Gordo beans, she just said "Oh, he came by last week with a demonstration."

It's not listed on the RG website under "retail stores" either.

[Bombdog]

It really doesn't matter where you find them....just make sure you seek out Rancho's beans...

My first purchase were pintos so fresh they didn't need soaking. A little onion, a little garlic and they were pronounced "the best beans I've ever had" by my SO's 11 year old daughter. "Ditto" was my answer.

I'm working my way through the entire line, pintos, cannelini, and black so far. Two farmer's markets in Napa each week = 2 pots of beans in our house!

[rancho_gordo]

I'd like to thank the members of the academy.....

Thanks again for all the kind words!

I served Pozole Verde all day a few weeks ago at the Village Market and will try to remember to post here if I do it again so you can come and experince the glory for yourselves!

Here are some shots of the Village Market's lovely Mona serving up the gruel while I took some snaps:

and

As I said before, it was fun getting such a positive reaction to the pozole until they learned they'd have to make it for themselves and that my samples were an example of what to make, not something they could take home and heat up.

[cdh]

Is that crate in the first really from Frank's soft drinks in Philly? How did that get all the way to California?

[tanabutler]

Mmmmm, I cooked my Rancho Gordo beans last night and they're so goooooooooooooooooood.

[waldrons]

This is probably a new topic, or maybe it's been covered, but can a "foodie" (hate the word!) be a non-cook? I'm sure the answer is going to be yes, but I can't understand how someone who loves good food (and even grows it, as in the case of our own jschyun) not want to play with it in the kitchen.

I've heard that question before, and the answer is simple... does one need to be a singer to enjoy opera? an actor to enjoy good theatre? etc....

While lots of foodies may enjoy cooking, I for one enjoy eating. Sometimes ya gotta cook good in order to eat good, but sometimes you get lucky!

Besides, I'm not sure putting dinner on the table night after night is "playing with food in the kitchen"!

Susan

PS - Although I only cook once or twice a week (I "assemble" the rest of our meals), I did rent an apartment in Paris and Florence last year so that I could cook. My husband was a bit baffled that I would cook on vacation when I don't cook at home. I think he was just miffed because he wasn't going on the trip!

[marie-louise]

Mmmmm,  I cooked my Rancho Gordo beans last night and they're so goooooooooooooooooood.

I, too, cooked my first batch of Rancho Gordo Beans last night (Yellow Indian Woman-scroll down for a decription).

Incredible.

No wonder Thomas Keller uses your beans. They are fresher and tastier than any other beans I've ever eaten-even from your Farmer's Market competitors.

Now on to those chips. Sure, they're fresh. Once you've eaten his, you will be able to taste the funky oil taste in the store-bought brands from now on. They're "macho sturdy." Rancho Gordo's chips are much, much better than other chips you have eaten. But be forewarned. I think he puts crack in them. Just say no.

(edited because I can't spell before my coffee)

Edited May 31, 2004 by marie-louise (log)

[Rebel Rose]

Please check the eGullet Calendar for details on the Family Farm League Seed Exchange to be held at Rancho Gordo's new warehouse on February 19th.

Congratulations, Steve. It sounds like a great event! Will you also be selling your beans and other items on Sunday?

[dockhl]

Please check the eGullet Calendar for details on the Family Farm League Seed Exchange to be held at Rancho Gordo's new warehouse on February 19th.

Congratulations, Steve.  It sounds like a great event! Will you also be selling your beans and other items on Sunday?

←

Mary~

We have to figure out a way to get some of those yummy beans to migrate south a little! Steve, when are you bring them down to the Central Coast ?

[rjwong]

Central Coast? What about L.A.??!!

How about it Steve, por favor?

[rancho_gordo]

Beans will be sold (but you can come by the warehouse anytime and pick them up or online.) The highlight is going to be the kids from the local high school seed-to-table program serving the food they grew (plus some other local food) and cooked. They are pretty cute.

The Family Farm League is a grassroots advocacy group dedicated to getting food grown in the Napa Valley. It is not an anti-wine group, we just want to focus on genetic diversity and avoid a complete monoculture. If it wasn't for wine, I doubt Napa would be an ag preserve at all.

Edited to add: One day..... I'll make a trek south. If you have ideas, please PM with store names! It's weird but I'm better represented in New York than in LA!

Edited February 5, 2006 by rancho_gordo (log)

[a geek]

Picked up a bag of the Mayakoba beans last week at the Village market and made them very simply using the simple instructions on the Rancho Gordo website (onions, garlic, carrots and slow cooking). Served them next to some tasty steak. These beans are excellent - probably could have made a meal just of the beans. They tasted lucious and rich and cooked to a plump and perfect texture.

Next time I'll probably do something a bit more daring with the beans, but to begin I wanted to be able to taste the beans mainly by themselves. I also picked up a bag of the Jacob's Cattle that I haven't used yet - any suggestions for those?

[rancho_gordo]

Jacobs Cattle have a distinct new potato taste and texture and depending where you are from, the preferred bean for baked beans. I'm from California so I don't know, but some baked bean freaks (and I use that term lovingly) insist on Jacobs Cattle.

Mayacobas are interesting. They almost taste like they have chicken stock in them. They have a thin skin and dense interior, almost the opposite of most beans. They are from Peru but have a particular "comfort food" quality about them.

Come visit me on a Saturday, just outside Cowgirl Creamery and I'll give you a complete tour!

By the way, the party is this Sunday and there's a simple website here.

[moosnsqrl]

By the way, the party is this Sunday and there's a simple website here.

←

So, how was it?

[rancho_gordo]

By the way, the party is this Sunday and there's a simple website here.

←

So, how was it?

←

Pretty swell. The turn out was big and lots of people brought and traded seeds, which was the real point of the thing. The kids from the local high school did all the food and manned the seed exchange table and they were ADORABLE, really into it. The food was pretty good, too. There were lots of local ag "celebs" and everyone seemed to be having a good time. It seems we really hit a nerve with a lot of people in wanting to expand Napa's ag horizons beyond just wine. I'm just finishing the clean up now.

The local radio station reporter was here with her microphone and the Napa Register sent a photographer and reporter and I'm told we're going to be the lead story in tomorrow's food section. I'll post a link if it pans out.

We already have plans for next year. Don't worry - I'll kepp you posted!

[moosnsqrl]

Pretty swell. The turn out was big and lots of people brought and traded seeds, which was the real point of the thing. The kids from the local high school did all the food and manned the seed exchange table and they were ADORABLE, really into it. The food was pretty good, too. There were lots of local ag "celebs" and everyone seemed to be having a good time. It seems we really hit a nerve with a lot of people in wanting to expand Napa's ag horizons beyond just wine. I'm just finishing the clean up now.

The local radio station reporter was here with her microphone and the Napa Register sent a photographer and reporter and I'm told we're going to be the lead story in tomorrow's food section. I'll post a link if it pans out.

We already have plans for next year. Don't worry - I'll kepp you posted!

←

Wonderful! Glad to hear it. I tried to send a local, but haven't heard yet if he made it.

[rancho_gordo]

I had jury duty the week before and was picked and I was pretty upset but I was very happy to see one of my fellow jurors there!

The Napa Register covers the event here.

[Jaymes]

"This valley is a monoculture, which can invite pests and other problems. The potato famine in Ireland was brought on by a lack of genetic diversity." -- Sando

Smarty.

Congratulations, Steve, on a brilliant idea, well executed.

[rancho_gordo]

"This valley is a monoculture, which can invite pests and other problems. The potato famine in Ireland was brought on by a lack of genetic diversity." -- Sando

Smarty.

Congratulations, Steve, on a brilliant idea, well executed.

←

It's a little dramatic and out of context.

But wine is good. So is food.