Emily Nunn is one of my favorite writers. Her Comfort Food Diaries is a classic and her Twitter feed is essential reading. I asked her what she’s thinking about beans and health for the new year. – Steve
According to the food world, beans are having “a moment.” Well, pardon us, but beans—which are the world’s second most important food source, after grains/grasses— have been a mainstay in the Americas for centuries (and the Old World began cultivating and eating them about 10,000 years ago). There’s a very good reason for their longevity, too. Beans make the human body happy—and not in that fleeting I-just-ate-a-bag-of-Fritos way. According to Dawn Jackson Blatner, a Chicago RDN and author of “The Flexitarian Diet” and “Superfood Swap, “if you look at world nutrition, you’ll see that some of the healthiest countries consume beans as a part of their regular diet.” Beans are nutrient dense: they contain a cache of (plant) protein and fiber, vitamins and minerals (iron, zinc, potassium, and folate), and healthy phytochemicals and antioxidants that make them small but powerful disease fighters. “A balanced diet that includes beans may improve digestive health and decrease risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer,” she says. And for those of you who believe that lean meat is the only protein that will keep you at your fighting weight, Blatner adds: “Beans can keep you feeling full longer, which means greater appetite control. And in terms of calories (which are what matters when it comes to weight), they only have 125 per 1/2 cup.” Another plus: since beans, legumes, and pulses are a part of virtually every cuisine, there’s no lack of great recipes for preparing them. Bottom line: beans are not some crazy fad, but you’d almost have to be nuts not to eat them.
(You can get cooking now with our recipes on our website. And for more nutrition-related bean facts, check out the Bean Institute)
A vegan salad to be enjoyed on its own or served with traditional Easter dishes.
I don’t think of Easter as an inspirtational meal but that’s changing. I grew up with industrial hams in cans and lots of bad chocolate. I was invited to my friends’ Easter celebration and when I heard that there’d be both ham and lamb, a lemony vegan side dish seemed in order.
Raw, they have almost no taste. Roasted in a low oven, they become delicious jewels.
It’s clearly too early for good tomatoes but I’ve been craving them after the long winter, which seemed to end overnight here in Northern California. Cherry tomatoes sliced in half, dusted with salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil, and then topped with fresh time went into the 250F oven for just about an hour.
You can use them in beans, salads, and even pasta.
They don’t compare to in-season tomatoes but they’re terrific. Use them like sun-dried tomatoes in salads, pasta, and of course, with beans. I left the thyme stems in as long as possible but be sure to pick them out before serving.
One pound of dry beans yields about six cups of cooked. Make them a day ahead so they can cool and you’ll have one more thing done the day you serve them.
It’s not a bad idea to make sure beans ahead of time. Bring them to room temperature before you strain them and be sure to save the liquid for another meal. Take care that the beans are well-salted. Things tend to need a bit more when they’re served room temperature or cold.
Flageolet bean broth. Liquid gold!
Recipe: Flageolet Salad with Lemon, Radishes, and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes 6 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Flageolet beans, cooked (from one pound dried) 1 medium red onion, chopped fine 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped fine 1 bunch radishes, cleaned and sliced thin with a mandolin or vegetable peeler 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 5 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped from stems olive oil 1 ½ lemons for juicing salt pepper
Heat the oven to 250F. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on an ungreased baking tray. Add the thyme leaves to the tomatoes, along with a little salt. Add the stems and any leftover thyme and then drizzle a light dose of olive oil over the tomatoes. Cook for about an hour until the tomatoes are slightly shriveled but not dry. Allow to cool and then roughly chop them.
Toss the beans with the tomatoes, onion, parsley, and olive oil. Add the juice of one lemon and check for tartness. It should be very lemony. Add more lemon juice as needed.
Salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, add the radish slices and more parsley, if desired. Optionally, you can garnish with a lemon slice.
I’ve always liked roasted pumpkin seeds, but I’ve mostly enjoyed them when they’ve “stayed in their lane,” with dishes like pipian and Sikil Pak. Lately, I’ve been putting them on everything, and they add gravitas to the most boring dish that is remarkable.
Buy the raw, shelled variety and then briefly pan roast them. A salad is an obvious new home but keep experimenting. I had some wild arugula from my CSA box. I added some cassoulet beans and olive oil and then topped the whole thing off with some pepitas. I couldn’t have been happier.
You need to be judicious. Too many and it’s too much of a good thing. Start with a spoonful and keep adding them until you’re happy. They won’t be the star of the dish but the make the original better than it would have been without them.
The two Meyer lemon trees in our backyard went crazy this winter. My family has been enjoying the harvest in every way that we can, and handing them out to friends by the bushel. (Okay, I don’t actually know what a bushel is, but thought it sounded cool and homestead-y.)
When we are rich in Meyer lemons, I usually make a batch of preserved lemons using a method that a friend shared with me, which came from her Persian family recipe vault. They are super secretive about the recipe—she’s one of my best friends and I had to pry it out of her—so I won’t get into specifics, but the gist is that you dry lemon slices in the sun with a bunch of salt, then you preserve them in olive oil. They are incredible, but a little labor-intensive. And they require sunshine, which we do not have at the moment in rainy Northern California.
So, I decided to try a different method this time, where you let the lemons sit in salt and their own juices until the rind becomes soft and flavorful. I found many recipes for this method, and they all seemed quite similar. I used the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving as a general guide.
My twist on the basic recipe is that I’ve front-loaded the work of chopping the preserved peel every time you want to use it. Once the preserved lemons were ready, I threw the rinds into the food processor and now I have a chunky relish that I can, and do, spoon on nearly anything: a bowl of beans and greens (of course), soups, salads, sauces, marinades, dips. The options are endless! Last week, my husband and I splurged on fresh Dungeness crab and he stirred a spoonful of the relish into the melted butter that we used for dipping. Wow. Just wow.
Note: A little of this stuff goes a long way. When you’re adding it to a dish, start off with less than you think you’ll want. You can always add more if it’s not enough.
Rancho Gordo Large White Lima beans, baby arugula, and preserved lemon relish.
Preserved Lemon Relish
12 organic lemons, preferably Meyer lemons (about 3 pounds) 1/2 cup sea salt One quart jar or 2 pint jars 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Sterilize the jar(s) by boiling in hot water for 10 minutes. Keep hot until ready to use. Wash the lid(s) and band(s) with warm, soapy water.
Juice 6 of the lemons. You should end up with about 1 1/2 cups lemon juice.
Wash the remaining 6 lemons well, then pat dry. Cut a thin slice off the stem end of each lemon. Starting with the cut end, cut each lemon into 4 quarters, leaving the bottom end connected by about half-inch of fruit.
Pour 1 tablespoon of the salt into the bottom of the sterilized jar(s). Hold one lemon over the jar, fan open the lemon quarters, and pour about 1 tablespoon of salt into the middle. Rub in the salt a bit so it adheres. Place the lemon in the jar and repeat with the remaining lemons and salt, packing the lemons tightly into the jar(s). I was able to fit 6 lemons into a quart-size canning jar. Cover with any remaining salt.
Fill the jar(s) with the lemon juice. The juice should reach to about 1/2 inch of the top. Add more if it doesn’t. Add the lid and screw the band on tightly.
Store the jar(s) of lemons in a cool, dark place, or in the refrigerator, for about 2 weeks. Shake the jar(s) every day or two to evenly distribute the salt.
After about 2 weeks, the lemon rinds should be soft and ready to use.
To make the relish, remove and discard the pulp and membrane from each lemon. Place the lemon rinds in a food processor and pour in about half of the liquid left in the jar. Pulse until the rinds are roughly chopped. You can add more liquid if you like, or discard it, or save it for another use. You can also chop the rinds by hand if you don’t have a food processor available.
At this point, I divided the lemon relish among smaller (sterilized) jars so I could share some with friends. You could also return it to the original jar and keep it all for yourself (which I probably should have done). If you like, you can top with olive oil to mellow out the flavor.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Julia Newberry is General Manager of Rancho Gordo and is the co-author of The Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen (Rancho Gordo Press, 2017)
There was about a cup of garbanzos and a cup of their broth sitting in the refrigerator. I was starving. Well, quite hungry. I added some frozen spinach, olive oil and a teaspoon of our new Smoked Spanish Pimenton Paprika. Once heated through, a drizzle of my best olive oil and a scant squeeze of lemon. Holy cow.
There was a moment when I thought to add some rendered pancetta for body and substance but I didn’t feel like dirtying another pan. Hush! I’m confessing. I will say there was no need to worry. The pimenton adds a little smokiness and good olive oil makes most everything substantial. There is a temptation to add even more pimenton but a teaspoon is perfect. I am not the biggest spinach fan so I only had frozen on hand. I don’t dislike it but I prefer it when other people make things with it. I plopped some of the frozen spinach into the simmering garbanzos and waited while they made friends. I reached for the parmesan but thought, so far so good, let’s make this vegan. The lemon was the kicker.
I’ve said this over and over but when you have something out for your guests to eat and drink, you can mostly take your time with the rest of the food.
My favorite hummus recipe is easy and lately I’ve been topping it with ground lamb and pine nuts, but a few olives on the edge of the plate and a good drizzle of olive oil are just as good.
I’ve been getting my tahini online from Soom Foods and it’s so much easier to work with than a bottle or can from the grocery store that has been sitting there so too long. And it’s delicious and I’ll be re-ordering.
I had made white beans and kale the previous night, and there was about a cup left. Before you ask me for the recipe, it’s beans and cooked kale. That’s it. I added some tahini and lemon juice and pureed it with an immersion blender, and then I had this wonderful dip, but not before adding a healthy dose of really good extra virgin olive oil.
I would have called this White Bean Hummus, but I don’t know if there is such a thing and I know how offended I am by creative martini drinks when a martini is gin and vermouth. Not being sure and not wanting to offend hummus purists, I present to you: White Bean, Kale, and Tahini Dip.
The best tomatoes are “in season” but if you’re in a bind, take romas and cut them in half. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt and fresh thyme over them and slowly cook them in a low oven, about 275F for an hour or two.
There’s not much original about loving beans and greens. They’re a natural combination. The greens are fresh and healthy, and if I have my way, a little bitter. They are offset by the creamy, indulgent beans.
My grocery store carries them in their organic section. I hope yours does, too. You can always ask the produce manager to bring them in if they don’t already. I don’t tend to see them at the farmers markets. They are considered a weed.
I normally just saute a little onion and garlic in olive oil to start but I had a fennel bulb heading south so I added it as well. It took almost 20 minutes on a medium low heat but it was worth it as the fennel caramelizes beautifully and this adds a lot to the dish. I’m not so keen on a strong anise flavor but it’s mellowed to the point of being groovy when you cook it this way.
Once you’ve rinsed the dandelions, chop them and let any water you used rinsing them cling to the leaves. It makes part of the sauce later.
Add the chopped dandelions to the onion mix and try and coat each piece with the hot vegetables. It will seem like too much but within a few minutes, it cooks way down. Stir occasionally.
In about ten minutes, the mixture is ready. It’s great as it is, over rice, stuffed into a pita or best of all, tossed gently with warm beans.
Everything was fine but why not make it finer? I added some toasted black walnuts. Ding Dang! That’s the ticket. I tried it again with just a few drops of lemon juice but it wasn’t necessary.
