Beans, beans, they're good for your

[Abra]

Last night I opened a package of the most beautiful beans.

These are Christmas Lima beans from Rancho Gordo.

Let me say here and now that I have no connection to Rancho Gordo except an intense love for their beans. I mean, that's a strong connection, but it's not an official one.

So before going to bed last night I put them in the crockpot with some water, nothing else, and put it on Low. When I got up this morning they were done perfectly, and still as beautiful as ever.

So I ate them for breakfast, with a sprinkle of salt and a tiny splash of hot sauce. It's not every day I eat beans for breakfast, and it's not every bean I would even consider eating for breakfast, but really, these were too beautiful to resist. The beans made me do it!

I think beans are one of the best foods at this time of year, and I look with a primal satisfaction at the stack of beautiful beans, all different kinds, in my pantry right now. With these beans on hand, I feel ready to dig in for the winter.

Who else loves beans, and what do you like to do with them?

[mizducky]

I used to have some mixed feelings about beans, but those feelings are getting more positive as I better learn how to cook with more varieties.

I have loved lentils, split peas, and chickpeas since I was a little kid. Chickpeas I used to just eat straight, sprinkled with black pepper, the way my mom taught me--she had grown up buying paper cones of chickpeas from street vendors in New York's Lower East Side. Later on I learned the joys of hummus, as well as Indian chickpea dals and curries. Lentils and split peas my mom would make into excellent soups. Nowadays my favorite thing to do with lentils is a salad with a tart mustardy vinaigrette; I have used split peas, especially yellow ones, for dals.

I used to think I didn't really like kidney beans, pintos, and other beans of that size and shape, because I found them too bland and starchy. Recently, though, I have done some successful experiments with cooking them with better technique and better choice of add-ins. I found out that a sprig of epazote adds a good, if hard-to-define, kick to beans. And I recently learned a whole lot from that eGullet front-page excerpt from the latest "White Trash" cookbook on pinto beans--I tried their recipe, and for a change my beans came out wonderfully creamy and flavorful.

I think my next bean adventures may well be with aduki beans. I like the flavor and consistency of Asian aduki bean sweets, and want to see if I can come up with versions using less sugar and/or substituting a more nutritive sweetener.

[Milagai]

Abra - those beans look beautiful!

I've yet to meet a bean I didn't like....

Would gladly eat any form of beans + chapati

or with rice, for breakfast......

MIzducky - if you still find kidney beans "blah", try

a "rajmah" recipe, like this one:

http://www.recipezaar.com/51062

or this one:

http://www.route79.com/food/rajmah.htm

This site has pictures, but I feel that the recipe

is missing an essential ingredient - cumin!

You can make any whole beans with this recipe.

BTW: dal != beans as dal refers to the split forms

and the whole beans are referred to as the "whole ____ bean".....

Milagai

Edited November 19, 2006 by Milagai (log)

[BarbaraY]

I love almost all beans and lentils but old-fashioned pintos are still my favorite.

Not fond of dried black-eye for some reason. I just don't care for the flavor although I like them in the green state still in the pod. Cooked absolutely to death with a piece of "fat meat" like my mother-in-law used to make.

I have tried one recipe for Rajmah and we weren't imprressed. The one mentioned above looks more interesting. Can't even imagine it without cumin.

If kidney beans are poisonous if not soaked, I'm dead 'cause my grandma never soaked them.

[miladyinsanity]

I think my next bean adventures may well be with aduki beans. I like the flavor and consistency of Asian aduki bean sweets, and want to see if I can come up with versions using less sugar and/or substituting a more nutritive sweetener.

←

Rock sugar is the secret to a really good adzuki bean soup. Though according to what I've seen in the China forum, adzuki bean is different from red beans.

[Eilen]

Abra, those are just beautiful; I also found a new appreciation for beans because of Rancho Gordo. My favorite so far is Red Nightfall, which I use to make refried beans, oh yum.

Deborah Madison has a recipe in her Veg. Cooking For Everyone book for a flageolet bean and leek soup. It's delicious. I have a whole pound of flageolets and I'm waiting for some new tender leeks to make it again.

Beans are great in cold/room temperature salads, I love them with a tangy, garlicky vinaigrette, mixed with various veggies. This is generally my summertime weekly lunch.

I do think of all, though, chickpeas are my absolute favorite. In salads, soups, hummus, side dish, I would rather have those golden orbs more than any other bean.

[Abra]

Milagai, thanks for that rajmah link - I've never heard of it, and I think of myself as having had a lot of Indian food. I'm another one who's anti-kidney bean. My current fave is Rancho Gordo's Rio Zape - could I sub, or is it really and truly the thing that it has to be kidney beans?

Eilen, right now I'm loving the Black Nightfalls even more than the red, but I am also fortunate enough to have a couple pounds of red ones. Tell me your very favorite Red Nightfall recipe, pretty please?

I have a pound of flageolets too, but I'm saving them for cassoulet. I've put up the duck confit and the pork belly confit, I've got the beans....

[OnigiriFB]

Abra - those beans look beautiful! 

I've yet to meet a bean I didn't like....

Would gladly eat any form of beans + chapati

or with rice, for breakfast......

MIzducky - if you still find kidney beans "blah", try

a "rajmah" recipe, like this one:

http://www.recipezaar.com/51062

or this one:

http://www.route79.com/food/rajmah.htm

This site has pictures, but I feel that the recipe

is missing an essential ingredient - cumin! 

You can make any whole beans with this recipe.

BTW:  dal != beans as dal refers to the split forms

and the whole beans are referred to as the "whole ____ bean".....

Milagai

←

Great sites. thanks. I tried your BEP recipe from the "spending too much on food" thread and it was wonderful! Yummy, filling, and enough for three - 4 meals for me. I was really surprised how cheap it was too. I ate it with brown rice and felt I was getting a very healthy meal. The only thing I didn't like was the wheat tortillas I tried to sub for chappatis. I guess I'll have to learn how to make that. I definately want to try the ramjah recipe.

Does anyone here get cravings for beans? Every once in a while I get one. I grew up eating Thai and we don't use beans at all so I find it odd. Usually I satisfy my craving with those cheap cans of beanie weinies but after trying Milagai's BEP recipe I'm definately going to start looking up indian bean recipes.

I see a lot of indian meals in my future....

[Milagai]

Abra:

Thanks for making me aware of the Rancho Gordo site.

I know what my upcoming food obsession is going to be!

Please share some of your favorite varieties from this

site and prep methods?

Also, the word "Rajmah" means "kidney beans"

(literally Royal Beans), rather than

the method of preparation .

It's home cooking, it used to be considered a

slightly fancier preparation - Sundays, parties etc.

but now it's become very commonplace/everyday.

It's one of the most popular Indian recipes, along with

chana/chhole, to "convert" newbies to the food.....

However, you can use that method of preparation with

any suitable bean - and after I saw a picture of Rancho Gordo

Rio Zape on line, I think why not, and would love to hear

back from you whether it worked.

It's almost identical to the BEP recipe I posted, and those

recipes can be used interchangeably.

To modify that recipe to use chickpeas type beans, you take

that same basic recipe and add lots of sour notes -

pomegranate powder, mango powder, tamarind, rock salt, etc.

To any of the above, some greens component can be added

(=saag) - spinach, fenugreek greens, etc.

I can't imagine (like I said) disliking any form of bean,

because all of them seem to have a generally neutral-ish

flavor, and it's all in the recipe and treatment.....

My palate has been so shaped by Indian spices that I can

rarely imagine the flavor of the bean alone rather than

as part of the dish....There's one bean however that stands

out to me, it's a large, flat, whitish or palely freckled bean

that's common in South India and called "butterbean" there.

No idea what it's called elsewhere and whether it's available.

But it's really buttery and yummy.....

Onigiri, glad you liked the BEP recipe. Now that I live in the

American South, I make that BEP recipe with chopped greens added,

for my version of "Hoppin John"

but shhhh or I'll get run out of town on a rail...

Interesting about the lack of beans in Thai food, other

than tofu. What about other SE Asian cooking?

Now that you mention it, I can't think of beans in Chinese

restaurants either (other than steamed bean paste in desserts).

What about in Japanese cooking?

South Asia seems to be "bean central", along with Central/South America.

Beans and dals are, of course, the cornerstones of vegetarian cooking

in the former, while in the latter they are part of a meat-based

cuisine.....?

Obviously if someone like me didn't get their daily dose of

dal or whole beans, I'd fall down from hunger and/or lack of

nutrition....

It's like peeping into an entire different planet for me to see what

other people do with beans and think about them, and how it's

exotica for some....

Milagai

Edited November 20, 2006 by Milagai (log)

[MarkinHouston]

Tarbais beans--wow, what a wonderful discovery. Last weekend I made cassoulet based on Paula Wolfert's Cassoulet de Toulouse (I made Toulouse sausage from her recipe and confit of turkey thighs and wings from the egullet thread). I had recently found Tarbais beans and saved them specifically for this recipe. The texture and taste were outstanding. I thought cannellini beans were a significant upgrade from navy or Great Northerns, but the Tarbais are going to become a staple in my bean stash. Definitely worth seeking out!

[Abra]

I haven't tried Tarbais yet, but I keep reading that they're wonderful.

OnigiriFB, I have beans in Thai food - yellow beans. There's yellow bean sauce for vegetables, that split yellow bean and coconut milk dessert that I love, and I'm sure there are more I don't know about. But maybe it's only yellow beans.

Milagai, too funny about the rajmah. I gues it's like saying "could I make Milk Pudding but substitite juice for the milk?" I never ate plain beans before Rancho Gordo beans came into my life, but on the site it says to try them with just a little salt, and I did, and then I got hooked on the gentleness of beans' own flavor.

I like to keep them cooked plain in the fridge and add them to things. Like for lunch today I had some leftover pink hubbard roasted squash with some of those Christmas limas and some leftover lamb patty with Turkish spices and hummus. Probably it sounds gloppy, but it was really satisfying after a lot of exercise on a cool winter day.

[rancho_gordo]

I'm pretty lucky to have such supporters! I love hearing what is done with "my children" once they leave home.

Ms Ducky says

I used to think I didn't really like kidney beans, pintos, and other beans of that size and shape, because I found them too bland and starchy.

Believe it or not, I agree with you, sort of. Plain old kidneys, navys, Great northern, etc. are bred to produce quickly and a lot. They have none of the nuance of an heirloom bean. It's much like a hard, pink hot house tomato or a Cherokee Purple right off the vine. They are both tomatoes but there's a world of difference. Pintos I still love, if they are fresh. There are several strains of pintos but you want to make sure they are light when you buy them. the dark ones are probably old.

I'm with Eilen re Red nightfall. These are sometimes called Mayflower beans and supposedly came to America with the pilgrims. This is a grand story but the bean is Phaelous vulgaris which means it's a New World plant. So much for a good story! But these beautiful little pink balls stay whole and then almost melt in your mouth.

Tarbais are a low-yielding bean that I haven't had much luck growing. Their big plus is that they don't fall apart after hours of cooking in a cassoulet. But good substitutes would be marrow (aka marrowfat), Jacobs Cattle or Flageolet. A lot of people think Tarbais are essential to a cassoulet but if you check your Larousse Gastro, you will see there isn't a lot of fidelity on which bean to use.

If you get the syndicated TV show In Wine Country on your local NBC affiliate, there's a story on Rancho Gordo on December 16. And another on Manresa's David Kinch as well.

Edited November 20, 2006 by rancho_gordo (log)

[rancho_gordo]

I also wanted to say how much I love Abra's photo. Those cooked Christmas Lima look really swell! Some people like to puree a cup of beans and add it back to the pot, but I love "pot liquor" just as is it. With these Christmas Limas, the flavor of the liquid is almost beefy.

This is a shot of runner beans with trumpet mushrooms but the Christmas Limas would be just as comfortable in a pot of garlic and mushrooms.

Edited November 20, 2006 by rancho_gordo (log)

[SheenaGreena]

Interesting about the lack of beans in Thai food, other

than tofu. What about other SE Asian cooking?

Now that you mention it, I can't think of beans in Chinese

restaurants either (other than steamed bean paste in desserts).

What about in Japanese cooking?

black beans!!!!!!!! used in chinese cooking and in korean. Although black beans are eaten alot differently in korean food. They served as banchan with a sugary soy glaze, very yummy

Edited November 20, 2006 by SheenaGreena (log)

[rancho_gordo]

black beans!!!!!!!!  used in chinese cooking and in korean.  Although black beans are eaten alot differently in korean food.  They served as banchan with a sugary soy glaze, very yummy

←

I know next to nothing about preparing Asian food but I seem to remember black beans having something to do with fermented soy beans. Am I all wrong?

[Milagai]

Thanks SheenaGreena (D'oh! thwaps self on head!

definitely need an emoticon for that).

I am aware of SE / E Asian beans more fermented or processed

(as RanchoGordo says): eg. tofu, tempeh, black bean sauce / paste,

sweet bean paste etc. I'm less aware of beans "as is" in the cuisine,

though Abra has pointed some items out. Please elaborate on black beans

in Korean food?

Thanks

Milagai

[andiesenji]

I also love beans of any variety. I didn't plant any this year but had a few volunteer vines that grew on the fence out back. One was a scarlet runner bean and another was a "mystery" bean that works nicely as "shelly" beans, some mature in the pods while new beans are coming along and are really good when shelled and cooked together with the green snap beans. The beans are a yellow-brown solid color but I don't recall ever planting any like this so don't really know where they came from. The blossoms are white.

I had left them on the vine to dry and managed to get some harvested but most were harvested by animals or birds. I saw some rats out by the new wall and these are probably the culprits. (These are not the brown Norwegian rats but are the desert kangaroo rats native to this area - they are really cute.)

[DRColby]

Steve,

Watched your vidio and am wondering about your bean pot, what is it made of that you can put it on top the stove, saute vegtables in it and then slow cook?

Dave

[OnigiriFB]

Hrm, ok yes there are beans in sauces but I don

't remember eating beans as beans except as dessert.

[rancho_gordo]

Steve,

Watched your vidio and am wondering about your bean pot, what is it made of that you can put it on top the stove, saute vegtables in it and then slow cook?

Dave

←

It's clay, from The Spanish Table (Seattle-Berkeley-Mill Valley). I love it and cook right on the fire with it. I can even turn it up pretty high, although it's not neccasary, really.

[Eilen]

Eilen, right now I'm loving the Black Nightfalls even more than the red, but I am also fortunate enough to have a couple pounds of red ones.  Tell me your very favorite Red Nightfall recipe, pretty please?

←

Abra, to be honest, I've only just recently discovered them, and when I cooked them, I ended up eating about a 1/4 just standing over the pot on the stove! I cooked the rest of them, loosely following this method, adding way more cumin and lime, cooking them longer, and leaving them quite chunky. They went into tortillas with a bit of cotijo, and a lot more cilantro!

[Abra]

Does anyone have a solution to this bean-related problem? Since I've been cooking a lot of red beans in my (formerly) white crockpot, the insert has gradualy become pink. No amount of elbow grease removes the pink stains, not that they're hurting anything, but it makes the pot look dirty all the time. Any suggestions?

[Milagai]

Does anyone have a solution to this bean-related problem?  Since I've been cooking a lot of red beans in my (formerly) white crockpot, the insert has gradualy become pink.  No amount of elbow grease removes the pink stains, not that they're hurting anything, but it makes the pot look dirty all the time.  Any suggestions?

←

Have you tried simmering some vinegar and water in that

for a good while; then empty most of it out, add more vinegar

and baking soda (bubbles over); then scrubbing?

If that does not work, then I fear diluted bleach soak may be

yr only option. If the insert is glass/ceramic or similar, then

it should be OK, and with a good dish soap scrub afterwards

safe for cooking again...

Milagai

[John DePaula]

Oh how wonderful. Thanks, Abra, I always enjoy your posts.

My brother and I have been looking for Yellow Eye beans for several years and I see that Rancho Gordo is now carrying them. Guess what my brother is getting for Christmas! Along with some of those Christmas Limas.

BTW, the Yellow Eye beans are great fixed with the Mora Vegetarian Bouillon (no-salt) cubes + a little bit of tarragon & salt to taste.

[rancho_gordo]

Does anyone have a solution to this bean-related problem?  Since I've been cooking a lot of red beans in my (formerly) white crockpot, the insert has gradualy become pink.  No amount of elbow grease removes the pink stains, not that they're hurting anything, but it makes the pot look dirty all the time.  Any suggestions?

←

Try BaRKeepers Friend. Let it stand for five minutes, then rinse. It will be gone!

John de Paula wrote:

BTW, the Yellow Eye beans are great fixed with the Mora Vegetarian Bouillon (no-salt) cubes + a little bit of tarragon & salt to taste.

You are "one of us". The temptaion is to tart them up but good beans need very little, don't you think?