# Heirloom Beans



## mr drinky (Jan 10, 2012)

Does anyone cook with heirloom beans? I got a gift package from Rancho Gordo for Christmas and I am looking for some good recipes.

I hashed out a nice dish with Ortiz Tuna and tepary beans a few days ago that turned out nicely.

k.


----------



## DwarvenChef (Jan 11, 2012)

I worked with Anasazi (sp) beans in school and was pleased with the different experience of using them. I've had trouble finding them again but I'll see if i can find the recipe again.


----------



## 9mmbhp (Jan 11, 2012)

RG Beans are great. I mostly use them in simple, improvised bean soups that are variations on minestrone, ribollita, etc. 

I have made this recipe for Borlottis -- it is from Steve Sando's (head of Rancho Gordo) recipe book Heirloom Beans: Great Recipes for Dips and Spreads, Soups and Stews, Salads and Salsas, and Much More

This is a nice side dish to go with braised short-ribs:

The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian
Jeff Smith

Cannelini Beans
Serves 6

1-1/2 cups cannelini beans or great northerns
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 chicken stock
2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Place the beans and 4 cups cold water in a 4qt pot and bring to a boil.
Cover, turn off the heat and allow to stand for an hour. 
Do not lift the lid,

Drain and return the beans to the pot along with 2-1/2 cups fresh water
and 1tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 25 minutes. Drain the
beans and return to the pot.

Heat a frying pan and add the oil, garlic, and onion. Saute until the
onion is tender. Add the diced tomato and saute for 3 minutes more. 
Add to the pot of beans along with the wine, stock, rosemary and tomato
paste. Partially cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes until the beans
are tender and a sauce has formed. If the beans are tender but the
sauce is thin, uncover and boil to reduce the sauce. 

Salt and pepper to taste. Allow the beans to stand uncovered for 5 minutes.


----------



## SpikeC (Jan 11, 2012)

This can be simplified by putting the beans into a bowl after cooking them, and doing the step in the frying pan in the pot the beans were cooked in, then adding the beans back to the pot. Why use more pots and pans than needed? 
Was a cookware seller his sponsor?


----------



## mr drinky (Jan 11, 2012)

Thanks for the recipe Anthony. I'm going to make it this weekend I think, and I have some RG cannelini just waiting to be used. How do you like the RG cookbook? Is it worth it?

k.


----------



## 9mmbhp (Jan 11, 2012)

I've only made that Borlotti recipe with soft polenta that I linked to. I topped it with some braised/sauteed dandelion greens (with bacon of course) and it was really good.

I've dog-eared a couple of other recipes in the book but haven't gotten around to trying them. Like most of my cookbook collection, I bought it on a whim, skimmed it, marked some recipes and then put it on the bookshelf and forgot about it.

Sando's blog (accessible from the RG website) has lots of recipes too.


----------



## mr drinky (Jan 12, 2012)

I'll check out the blog (thanks for the tip). I also just got another batch of beans in from RG. I needed some more Christmas Limas for a recipe, and I sort of got carried away I also noticed today that Thomas Keller in his cookbook, Ad Hoc, says that he loves using Rancho Gordo beans. 

k.


----------

