I made a chili the other night, completely ignoring all of your recommendations. I toasted and soaked 3 anchos, 1 chipotle and 2 guajillos. Then I blended them with onion, Mexican oregano, cumin and garlic, fried this paste until very thick and then thinned it out with water. Browned stew meat was added and this cooked until the meat was fork tender. I added too much water and thickened it with a walnut-sized ball of masa but it still was lacking something. This morning, I drained about a cup of Giant White Limas and added them. It was a poem, I tell you! Just out of this world.
My first instinct was to add new potatoes but the limas were a much better fit, and a chance to reinvent the large pot I made over the weekend.
I enjoy your obsession of beans because you certainly give a twist to so many dishes with your heirloom beans. Who would have thought that lima beans in a chili would be a good marriage? Only you. By the way, I just cooked half a pound of your Christmas Lima beans, unsoaked, with water and a bit of olive oil. I let it cook in an enamelled cast iron pot for 2 1/2 hours. Delicious! I simply ground some black pepper over them, drizzled a bit more olive oil, and some Real Salt. Out of this world! I love your advice about enjoying the bean by itself, simply adorned. Of course, adding a mire pois and fresh herbs would give it another dimension of flavor. But sometimes, keeping it simple is oh so good!
Ana, I’m so glad you get what we’re doing. I get recipe requests everyday and I want to scream back, “just cook them and eat them! Who needs a recipe?” but I’ll save my rants for when I’m among friends, like I am here.