Cranberry beans are gorgeous for their color alone, but they also have a wonderful texture which is somewhat creamy beneath a hearty skin.  And they’re fresh right now at your local farmers’ markets. Steve Sando pairs them with my favorite green – kale- another super food, loaded with calcium and anti-oxidants from vitamins A and C.  Serve this as an appetizer or light lunch with soup or salad.

3 TB extra virgin olive oil

1/3 C chopped white or yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

1/8 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 C cooked cranberry beans

2 bunches kale, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped

1/2-inch-thick slices crusty artisan bread

Grated pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400.

In large, heavy skillet over medium heat, warm 1 TB of olive oil.  Add onion, one garlic clove and rosemary. Saute until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Put sauteed vegetables and beans in food processor and blend until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Put the bean puree in a small skillet and warm over low heat.  You will have about 2 cups.

In same skillet you used for onions, etc. warm the remaining 2 TB olive oil over medium heat.  Add remaining garlic and saute for about 10 minutes.  Do not allow the garlic to brown.  Add kale and stir until it begins to wilt.  Partially cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender – about 8-10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Brush bread slices with olive oil.  Arrange on baking sheet and toast in oven until crisp, about 7 minutes.  Spread bean mixture over toasted bread and top with kale. Sprinkle with cheese and serve on a platter.

Serves 4-6

Recipe borrowed from “Heirloom Beans”

One of my favorite protein sources has just gotten some respect, as in really good press.  The legume, or in more familiar terms – the bean – has an entire cookbook dedicated to it’s heritage, preparation, and recipes which will entice even the leery ‘musical fruit’ lover (see ‘romantic’ note below.)

“Heirloom Beans” is a hot new publication by Steve Sando of Rancho Gordo, whose passion for indigenous New World food inspired the creation of his book.  In a quest to find lost varieties of heritage beans, Steve ‘searched the Americas’ for interesting and rare selections that he could bring back home and cultivate.  After discovering many nuances and flavor profiles previously unknown, Steve’s mission took on a whole new life – and it pretty much became his life.

Well, good for us on many levels. As you will read in the book, beans are a super food. They are a wonderful source of plant protein, high in fiber, low in fat.  It’s the soluble fiber which helps cholesterol move out before it has time to be absorbed.  And it’s the high fiber which slows down the rise in blood sugar, making beans a favorite choice as ‘medicine’ for people with diabetes.  Beans are also high in iron, calcium, vitamin B-complex and a slew of other minerals.  They help reduce blood pressure (as in good for the heart) and are said to promote ‘balanced’ sexual activity (I’m not exactly clear on this term but perhaps that’s why Steve labels them ‘romantic.’)

Bottom line is – they taste good!  Heirloom beans have different textures and complex flavors over their mass-produced counterparts. If you have the time, it’s best to pre-soak them to ‘turn off the music,’ so to speak, before cooking. (But according to Steve, his beans are fresher which will reduce the soaking time.) And now with over 100 succulent recipes to choose from, you can make beans a ‘regular’ part of your daily diet. (See next post for an appetizer!)

To purchase a copy of “Heirloom Beans,” I always recommend your local bookstore first, or you can find it at Amazon.  To buy the beans, visit Rancho Gordo’s website for a complete listing of varieties and shipping details.