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Several members of the community involved in the slow food movement, local foods, nutrition and cooking will be posting on this blog on a regular basis. We look forward to your comments and replies.

Beans From Scratch

Beans from Scratch

The ingredients

1 lb beans, picked over (discard any that are split, discolored or shriveled)
1 onion
2 carrots
1 celery stalk
bay leaf (optional)
kombu seaweed (optional)

The recipe

1) Put beans in a colander and rinse thoroughly.

2) Place in a large pot with water to cover by 2 inches.

3) Soak 8 hours or overnight

4) Discard water; rinse beans again.

5) Place beans back in pot with water to cover by 2 inches.

6) Prepare vegetables: peel and quarter onion, wash and cut carrot into 2-inch lengths, and wash and cut celery into 2-inch lengths. Place in pot with beans, with bay leaf and kombu if using.

7) Turn heat to high until beans are just beginning to boil. Turn heat down to moderate. Skim any foam that may have formed on the top and discard. Adjust the heat, cover the pot, and cook at a simmer until done. For black beans, this will be about 1-2 hours, depending on the freshness of the beans.

Drain beans. Reserve some cooking liquid for making soup, refried beans, or chili if you like.

Notes

1) You can soak the beans longer if your plans change and you don’t cook them when you had planned. After 24 hours of soaking, drain, rinse, and add fresh water. Put the soaking pot in the refrigerator. Cook the beans 48 hours after starting to soak. 2) I like to cook beans at least one pound at a time, because they freeze so easily. Just take cooked, cooled beans and place in a freezer-safe container in 1, 2, or 4-cup portions to use in soups, salads, or other dishes