Clockwise from top left: vaquero, mayocoba, scarlet runner, anasazi and Dutch knuckle beans (Illustration by Lauren Baldwin)
HISTORY
Shimmering like decorative beads in their plastic packages, dried heirloom beans beckon.
Passed down over generations, these are beans that haven’t been subjected to mass commoditization and the subsequent loss of flavor and luster — magic beans.
It would be impossible to discuss heirloom beans without mentioning Steve Sando. The founder of Rancho Gordo, Sando popularized the idea of cooking heirloom beans among chefs like Thomas Keller, who did the work of evangelizing them to consumers, and now Rancho Gordo is the largest seller of them anywhere.
HOW TO BUY
Locally, you can find Rancho Gordo beans at Little House Green Grocery. And there are many other online sources for heirloom beans, including North Bay Trading Co., Elegant Beans and Purcell Mountain Farms. The beans are often harder to grow, making them more expensive, but chefs insist that the superior flavor is worth it.
HOW TO PREPARE
These beans don’t need chicken stock or ham hocks, just water. Use them in recipes that exalt the bean — cassoulet, ribollita, or red beans and rice.
Heirloom Red Beans and Rice
By Evan Campbell, chef at The Stables at Belmont
4-6 servings
For the beans:
1 1/2 pounds Domingo Rojo heirloom beans
1 pound Andouille sausage, cut about 1/2-inch thick
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium Spanish onions, finely diced
3 celery stalks
1 green bell pepper, rough chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
A small pinch of cayenne pepper
A dash of your favorite hot sauce
For the rice:
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups vegetable stock, or water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Soak the beans for at least 4 hours or overnight. In a large, heavy pot, brown the sausage in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the remaining oil, followed by garlic and Spanish onions. Saute over medium heat until onions are transparent. Add celery and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
Pour soaked beans and water into pot and simmer. Add black pepper, cayenne, hot sauce, salt and all herbs, except for parsley. Cook until beans are softened, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
As the beans finish, bring vegetable stock (or water), salt, butter and vinegar to a boil in a saucepan. Add rice and stir. Cover; reduce heat to medium/low. Cook for about 20 minutes.
While the rice simmers, remove 1 cup of beans to bowl, mash with a fork, then stir back into the bean pot. Add parsley and green onions. Simmer about 15 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning. If the mixture is too thick, add more water. Finally, add rice and enjoy.
