Dried beans are part of every well-stocked pantry. Here are some basic cooking tips: If you buy fresh dried beans (beans under two years old), no soaking is needed prior to cooking. Soaking beans overnight will speed up the cooking time. No need to change the water — the soaking water now contains vitamins and...Read More
This popular midwestern dish is also known as Cowboy Beans or Cowboy Calico Beans, but in our family, it was known simply as Calico Beans by the adults or Halloween Beans by the kids. It’s always been our favorite “go-to” dish to serve on Halloween. Serve the beans with a pan of freshly baked warm...Read More
This is a substantial salad that is good when it is hot. Lavender is fun to use in savory dishes and goes well with fennel. The meaty blandness of the beans and the vinegar of the dressings keep the lavender from being too much. The lavender should come across as a piece of pleasing music...Read More
Don’t forget to bake a pan of fresh cornbread to serve with this Fall dish! This is a great dish to feed a crowd! INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. Corralitos apple-smoked bacon, cut into 1″ strips 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (or ground turkey) 2 medium red onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 – 15 oz....Read More
This dish is inspired by the classic succotash, but I have changed it to suit my tastes. I use fresh snap beans instead of limas, and I cook it fast as a sauté instead of simmering it. I season with flavors of the American Southwest. This dish has lots of sweetness and bright flavors with...Read More
This old-fashioned side dish is a staple at our Memorial Day and Fourth of July picnics and is also the most requested potluck dish we take to parties. As you can tell from the name, this is an old family favorite — my Southern grandmother always had a pot of beans simmering on the back...Read More
This is a flavorful mélange that is not wet enough to be a soup, but not dry, either. Although you could easily add more liquid for a soup or cook it dry as a side dish. INGREDIENTS: 3 cups cooked cranberry beans (see recipe for Basic Braised Shelling Beans on site) 2 cups carrots, cut...Read More
This is the basic method for cooking fresh shelling beans (or “shellies” as some people call them) such as cranberry, borlotti, Tongues of Fire. You can eat these beans “as-is,” but if you have leftovers these beans are great with grains or added to a soup, such as a minestrone. You can use this basic...Read More
