The
Humble Bean
New England bean suppers have long
held an established culinary position in community events. However, with the exception of string beans,
family meals such as beans and hot dogs epitomize scraping the bottom of the barrel
in home cooked food. Hence the undeserved humble image has long been attached
to all bean varieties and legumes in general, such as cow peas (black-eyed
peas), lentils and even garbanzos.
And yet, while beans have often in
the past been associated with poverty, their popularity seems to be getting a
new life not only by the USDA and nutritionists, but also as an interesting
side or main dish component in trendy restaurants. Suddenly legumes have been
‘discovered’ not only for their protein, fiber, carbohydrate, vitamin and
mineral content, but also the variety of flavors that can be produced by
different members of the legume family. As we discover and adapt the flavors of
ethnic cuisine, we also discover that the legume has been a staple in pots from
prehistoric times in all continents. So, in addition to chili and hummus, it is
delightful to discover other delicious recipes that use lentils, peas and
beans.
Historically beans have been grown
in different climates and in dried form can be easily preserved for winter and
times of scarcity of other food stuffs. This quality probably explains why in
some cultures, beans or some form of cow peas are eaten at New Year’s. In the
South black-eyed peas in Hoppin’ John are eaten to insure luck for the coming year. At Christmas and on New Year’s eve, an old
Latvian custom calls to serve cooked ‘gray peas’, a form of cow peas that are
actually brown and have a good nutty flavor, with the proviso that the number
of peas left over predicts the number of tears in the New Year. Needless to
say, a sincere effort is made to clean up your plate.
Today, beans, chickpeas and even
black-eyed peas are available in canned form, though lately I have noticed that
the can contents have started to shrink for many brands. This makes the dried
legumes even more economical to use, since a cup of dried beans or chickpeas
will give you two cups after soaking and cooking. Except for lentils, which
only require 30 minutes to cook, dried beans and peas/garbanzos benefit from an
overnight soaking in plenty of cold water. After rinsing the soaked beans or
peas, cover them with cold water, bring the pot to boil and continue to cook
uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, depending on the bean, until tender, but
still intact. Add salt only after cooking to avoid toughening the skin of the
bean.
One of my all-time favorite bean
recipes evolved through the years and is good as a casserole, especially in
cold weather. The original came from
Carol, a secretary in our department of Microbiology, out West. This version
uses canned beans, but cooked dried garbanzo and pinto beans are even better.
Four
Bean Casserole
Cook 5 slices of thick bacon to near
crisp and drain on paper towels and break up the slices. Pour off most of the
fat and over high heat brown 1 lb. lean ground beef and 1 cup diced onions.
Drain off extra grease and stir in ½ cup catsup, 1 tsp. salt, 1 Tblsp. yellow
mustard, 2 Tblsp. apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 28-oz can
un-drained vegetarian baked beans, 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans and 1 15-oz can
pinto beans drained and rinsed, ½ tsp. liquid smoke and 1 bag frozen (edamame)
soy beans. Add roughly crumbled bacon, stir together and bake covered in a 350
degree oven for 45 minutes.
Early in December I discovered at the
Waldoboro Library a copy of Crescent Dragonwagon’s wonderful cookbook “Bean by
Bean”, undoubtedly the ultimate bean cookbook.
Santa must have heard me enthuse about this book, so now I have a copy
of my own to explore during this winter’s chilly months.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in
Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00
a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
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