I am still craving fresh, sweet corn (and from the looks of it…Indian Summer is in the forecast!) and through my friend Steve at Rancho Gordo, I found a recipe which combines another favorite food – beans.  Tomatoes are finally in their prime, and put them all together for a wonderful side dish (to ribs) or along with a salad as a main course.  For the health benefits, you get lots of fiber (beans and corn), vitamin C (tomatoes) and antioxidants from the garlic.  All in, this dish costs about $1.25 per serving!

Beans with Roasted Corn and Tomatoes – Serves 8

For the tomatoes, I bought “Sweet 100’s” which are like candy right now.  The beans I used from RG are similar to pintos, but fresh and creamy. Feel free to substitute black beans or whatever type you have on hand. To save energy, if you have a slow cooker, great.  If you have a pressure cooker, even better.  Just remember that pre-soaking aids with digestion.

1 pound Yellow Indian Woman Beans
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt

2 cloves garlic, minced
kernels from 5 ears of corn
1 tablespoon olive oil

5 ripe tomatoes, chopped if large; cut in half if small
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
1 lemon, cut in 8 wedges

Directions

1. Pick over beans and rinse well.
Chop onion and add to pot along with water and salt. Stir to mix, then cover and turn on high. Add more hot water if needed to keep beans covered. Turn down heat if needed to keep beans at a very low boil.
2. About 2 1/2 hours later, mince garlic. Shuck corn*, rinse, and cut kernels off cobs. Test a few beans to see if they are done. When the beans are creamy but still holding their shape, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir once or twice, until garlic is fragrant. Add corn kernels and cook until parts of the corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally so corn doesn’t stick to the skillet or burn.
3. Meanwhile, prepare tomatoes and cilantro.
4. To serve, mix beans with tomatoes, corn, and cilantro. Place a lemon piece to the side to be squeezed onto the beans as desired.

*You can also grill the corn and remove kernels once cooked.

Due to the quantity it provides (and the amount of time needed,) this is a great dish to serve at BBQ’s or parties.

This recipe is part of Nourishing Gourmet’s “Pennywise Platter.”