Classic Red Beans & Rice
Slow-simmered with chicken stock, herbs and spices, these luscious red beans get an extra-flavorful kick from Andouille sausage.
Ingredients:
1 pound Rosita red beans
1 pound Andouille sausage, sautéed and sliced
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
½ cup celery, cut into ¼-inch cubes
4 cups chicken stock, plus 2 cups water
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon dried sage
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
Cooked long-grain jasmine rice, for serving
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Rinse and sort beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, red pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Rinse soaked beans, then transfer to a large pot with 4 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water. Stir sautéed vegetables into beans. Season with cayenne pepper (if using), paprika, thyme, sage, bay leaf and parsley. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for 2½ hours until the beans are just tender.
3. Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Once the beans and sausage mixture is ready, serve them over the steamed jasmine rice.
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Classic Spanish Paella
This classic paella recipe from The Spanish Table is a summer favorite at the Farm. Full of fresh seafood and spicy chorizo, the caramelized crispy rice crust known as the socarrat is still our favorite part!
Ingredients:
½ cup uncooked Valencian Rice per person
1 cup chicken stock per person
5 threads saffron per person dissolved in a little white wine
Olive oil, to cover bottom of pan
1 piece of chicken, such as a thigh, per person
½ to 1 soft chorizo sausage per person
½ teaspoon Spanish sweet paprika per person
1 clove garlic per person, minced
¼ cup chopped onion per person
1/8 cup grated tomato (cut in half, grate and discard the skin) per person
2 shrimp or prawns per person
2-4 small clams and/or mussels per person
Red piquillo peppers cut in strips
Artichoke hearts, green beans or peas
Cooked white Spanish beans such as alubias de la granja or judion
Lemon wedges for garnish
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Heat stock in a separate stock pot. Crush saffron and add it to stock or a little bit of white wine. Heat paella pan over medium heat, add olive oil and fry chicken until it begins to brown.
2. Next add garlic and onions and saute until translucent. Add chorizo and cook until heated. Add the rice, stirring until well coated with oil. Add the paprika and grated tomato. Stir while cooking for a few minutes. Add saffron flavored wine and hot stock. Bring to a boil while scraping the bottom of pan. Now the rice should be level and you will not need to stir from this point on. Adjust heat to maintain a nice simmer.
3. When the rice has absorbed a good amount of liquid but still has a soupy appearance add the mussels or clams. Once the rice is cooked add the shrimp or prawns tucking them down into the rice, then the piquillo peppers, artichoke hearts, green beans, beans and peas. During this time the rice should be caramelizing on the bottom of the pan. It will make a faint crackling sound and smell toasty sweet but not burnt. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
Variation: This recipe can also be made using the oven or barbecue—see The Spanish Table for details on how!
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How-To: Cook Dried Corona Beans
A quick, how-to guide to prepping this week’s gorgeous oversized beans.
Ingredients:
½ pound Corona beans
1 small onion, peeled and cut in half
Sprig each of thyme and rosemary
3 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
Sea salt
Method:
1. Pick over the beans, discarding any misshapen beans and stones. Rinse the beans and drain. Place in a bowl, add water to cover generously and let soak overnight.
2. Drain the beans, place in a Dutch oven and add water to cover by 2 inches. Add the bay leaf, onion, fresh herbs and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the beans are soft, about 2 hours, checking the beans and adding more water as needed to keep the beans submerged. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Let the beans cool, then drain well. Yields about 6 cups cooked beans..
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Southwest-Style Beans
These spicy beans pair wonderfully with your favorite meat or vegetable hot off the grill.
Ingredients:
1 pound Pinquito beans, or other dried bean of your choice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, preferably 1 green and 1 orange or red (for color), seeded and diced
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Set them aside and let them soak for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans, and then place them in a large pot. Add the garlic, bell peppers and the onions. Cover them with about an inch of water.
3. Next add the chili powder and cumin, plus a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans until tender, about 2 hours. Check the liquid level about halfway through the cooking process; if you’d prefer the beans to be less soupy, you can ladle off about a third of the cooking liquid.
Variation: For extra depth of flavor, add chopped chorizo sausage into the pot at the same time as the garlic, onions and peppers.
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How-To: Cook Mayocoba Beans
You can enjoy these beans straight out of the pot, or save and prepare them refried-style later!
Ingredients:
2 cups dried Mayocoba beans
1 small onion
2-3 tablespoons bacon drippings (or butter or lard)
1-2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
2-3 quarts water
Pinch of Mexican oregano (optional)
Method:
1. Sort through the beans and discard any rocks or shriveled beans. Rinse and drain well.
2. Add beans to a pot and cover with 2-3 quarts of water, or so the water level is 2 inches above the beans. Add the roughly chopped onion and 2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings (or butter or lard).
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover. Let simmer for 1½-2 hours. Ensure that the water level is well above the beans by adding more water as they cook if necessary.
4. Start tasting them after 1½ hours. If they are hard or grainy they need a little more time. Once cooked add 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of Mexican oregano and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Give a final taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Either serve immediately, or store for future use.
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Jacob’s Cattle Beans with Bacon & Sage
Smoky and savory, this is a bowlful of comfort on a fall day!
Ingredients:
½ pound dried Jacob’s Cattle beans, soaked
3 pieces (about 5 ounces) thick-cut bacon
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4-5 small cloves garlic, minced
4 heaping teaspoons crumbled sage, divided
1 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
A splash of wine or vinegar, for deglazing
Olive oil, for garnish
Method:
1. Transfer beans and their soaking liquid to a medium saucepan. Add water to cover by at least 1 inch, if necessary, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, covered, until beans just begin to soften, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a clean plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Deglaze pan with a splash of wine or vinegar and scrape up all of the browned bits. Add onions, celery, carrot, and garlic to the skillet. Crumble in 2 teaspoons of sage and sprinkle with salt. Sauté over low heat, very slowly, until vegetables are very soft and slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes.
3. Add vegetables and salt to the beans. Simmer, partially covered, until beans are tender and cooking liquid has thickened, about 1 hour 15 minutes. During the final 5 minutes of cooking, add the remaining sage and freshly ground black pepper: taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and topped with crumbled bacon.
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Risotto with Fresh Fava Beans & Sugar Snap Peas
This bright risotto is tossed with mint and lemon zest for extra flavor.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh fava beans, peeled and blanched (see method)
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed of ends and blanched along with the fava beans
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cups Arborio rice
4-5 cups warm chicken stock
½ cup white wine (if desired)
½ shallot, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic
â…” cup freshly-grated Grana-style cheese
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons cultured buttered with grey sea salt
Method:
1. In a sauce pan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and then turn down to a simmer to keep hot. In another large saucepan over medium low heat, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and cook the shallots until soft but not brown. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 2 minutes.
3. Turn the heat up and add the Arborio rice to the pan with the shallots and garlic. Stir for about one minute. Add a ladleful of stock to the rice and continue stirring until almost absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock and the wine and continue stirring; repeat until the stock is almost gone and the rice is creamy and tender.
4. Stir in the clarified butter with sea salt and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then add the blanched peas and fava beans to the pan. Stir well and allow to heat through (the fava beans should be bright green and tender), then add the cheese, lemon zest and mint. Serve immediately
Variation: This risotto is also lovely topped with a poached or olive-oil fried egg.
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Cilantro-Lime Rice
A fantastic side to tacos, enchiladas and more.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1½ cups basmati long grain white rice
1 clove garlic, minced
2¼ cups water
1 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lime
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup lightly packed chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium high heat. Add the raw rice and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice has started to brown. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
2. Add water, salt, and lime zest to the rice. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover and lower the heat to low to maintain a very low simmer. Cook undisturbed for 15 minutes (check your rice package instructions), then remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork.
3. Transfer the rice to a serving bowl. Pour lime juice over the rice and toss with the chopped cilantro.
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Fried Corona Beans with Kale-Lemon Pesto
Pan-fried and then tossed with a bright kale-lemon pesto, these crispy beans are incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked Corona beans (see method)
1 bunch Tuscan black kale
¾ cup Grana-style cheese
¾ cup toasted pecans
Zest and juice of 1-2 lemons
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch salt
Method:
1. To prep the pesto: Roughly remove stems from kale. Add kale to a pot of boiling water. Stir and cook about 45 seconds, then remove and rinse with cold water. Pick up kale with your hands and mold into a ball, squeezing out all the excess water. Set aside. In a food processor, add the lemon zest, juice, salt, nutmeg, garlic and pecans. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Add in the kale, and pulse while adding olive oil. Taste for salt and add more oil if it is too dry.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons additional olive oil to coat a large frying pan. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3-4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.
3. Add kale-lemon pesto to the beans and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve lightly sprinkled with additional Grana cheese.
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Garlic & Ginger Green Beans
This zingy preparation will soon be a new favorite.
Ingredients:
1 pound green beans
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Method:
1. Blanch green beans in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes until just tender and then drain and cool the beans with a rinse of cold water.
2. In a large sauté pan heat the sesame and olive oils over medium heat until shimmering. Add the ginger root and garlic and sauté for 1 minute until both are soft and fragrant. Add in beans, soy sauce, water and red pepper flakes and cook until the liquid is dissolved. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
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