Beans

by Cynthia Graber

 

I accidentally made chili the other day.

This sounds bizarre, true, as if I tripped, fell against the stove, and poof! A pot of chili. It wasn't quite like that, though close. I had a mixture of fresh dried beans (not an oxymoron) that I'd picked up in Greenmarket in New York, from the wonderful Cayuga Organics. I say "wonderful" because I just finished up a container of flavorful, chewy spelt that I'd bought the same day, and I'm sad to see it go. I'm considering calling to see if they take orders.

I also bought this bean mixture that came with a bit of grain, too, as a soup base, and it was time to give it a try. Hmmm, I had one red onion, a shallot, a small onion, a couple of somewhat limp celery stalks. Perfect for soup, right? I chopped it all up with an entire head of garlic. Then I noticed canned tomatoes, left over from the cabbage recipe I posted earlier this week. After sauteing the aforementioned vegetables, I threw in the canned tomatoes and bean mixture and covered the whole thing with water. Suddenly, it no longer looked like soup. That mixture wanted to be chili. So as it bubbled away, I tossed in some tomato paste, dried chiles, and chipote and ancho chile powder. 

Three hours later - accidental chili.

But here's the real reason I'm posting. In my December CSA, I received the local kidney beans from Baer's Best, pictured above. I'm not quite sure yet what to do with them. Does anyone have any ideas?

Comments

[quickmealhelp]

Of course, there's the possibility of revisiting soup (a vegetable soup with slow-simmered root veggies), but I could also go for cooked and cooled red beans as a salad topper. Maybe with feta cheese and a rosemary vinaigrette. Or how about sauteed onions with yams or sweet potatoes, topped with a layer of red beans? Then there's always the classic 3-bean salad combo: with white or black beans, green beans and a veggie of choice (corn and green onions?), mixed with an olive oil vinaigrette. Looking forward to hearing what you come up with!

[Cynthia Graber]

All great suggestions! I'm intrigued by the idea of rosemary and feta. But, then again, I may end up with sweet potatoes in my next CSA drop. I'll keep you posted.

[Matt K]

We have been slow cooking beans, and then freezing them in packs, and then pulling them out. A little generic, but delicious, and they can go into any dish you want to whip up on the spot!