Love this post so much. For Rancho Gordo's Marcella beans, my favorite, I always drop them in the slow cooker with 6 c water, onion, bay, garlic, salt (yes even in the beginning), and cook on high for 4 hours. Perfect every time.
I found they are too delicate for the Instant Pot.
I love them under an over easy egg for breakfast with some tomatoes and greens on the side
Perfect timing! I joined the Rancho Gordo Bean Club this year,...and confess that I’m sitting on three shipment’s worth of beans--about 15 bags! My bean enthusiasm is often greater than the time I have, so I will definitely be trying lots of your ideas! Thank you! :)
I’ve been a RG Bean Club member for years. I always save the recipes that come in the quarterly box, they’re always simple and easy to riff off of, too!
I make lots of Indian bean curries in my Instant Pot. When I cook beans for other dishes, I cook a pound of them in the IP, then drain them, then place 1.5 cup portions (approximately the amount of beans in a regular can) in ziplock freezer bags. Recipes usually call for canned beans, and I use these instead. I use Rancho Gordo’s rip zape beans in your Green Chili Braised Chicken with Pinto Beans recipe. It’s heavenly.
This feels like a RG bean club support group. I too have a bean problem. I have a bean cart. It is FULL. ( My loved ones regularly haze me over said cart). Thank you for this newsletter- just the pep talk I needed to clear out some beans!
So lovely to be in the company of other legume fans. :) I am so impressed with the creativity/variety of ideas here (no surprise!), and I have a few more to shout out. Julia, your refried beans and baked beans are both so easy and so outstanding. I've also started doing marinated beans after reading about them in the past year or so - very simple and versatile.
My absolute favorite bean recipe is white bean and bacon soup. Two cans of beans (or a bag, cooked!) plus half a pound of bacon (or ham, pancetta, etc) 32 oz of chicken broth, some garlic, some thyme, a little salt and pepper… Cook everything but the bacon together, crisp up the bacon, sprinkle it on top with some of your favorite cheese. Then curl up with it on the couch and enjoy!
thanks, laura. just whipped this up for lunch with my leftover RG marcella beans that i cooked up earlier this week using tamara's recipe above. as julia says, a pot of beans and many dishes. used sage instead of thyme because that's what i had leftover from thanksgiving stuffing and i subbed in pancetta that i had been waiting to use. thank you. divine!
I get my husband to eat beans and greens by adding a little sausage - brown the sausage, add a can of white beans to warm through with a dash or three of crushed red pepper flakes, add greens to wilt, top with a squeeze of lemon juice and a shower of parmesan. Cozy, delicious and a little nutritious!
Love this post so much. For Rancho Gordo's Marcella beans, my favorite, I always drop them in the slow cooker with 6 c water, onion, bay, garlic, salt (yes even in the beginning), and cook on high for 4 hours. Perfect every time.
I found they are too delicate for the Instant Pot.
I love them under an over easy egg for breakfast with some tomatoes and greens on the side
Oh your breakfast sounds so satisfying and your bean cooking method also sounds very trustworthy and gentle!!!
i followed your your instructions, tamara, and the marcellas came out brilliantly. thank you!
Perfect timing! I joined the Rancho Gordo Bean Club this year,...and confess that I’m sitting on three shipment’s worth of beans--about 15 bags! My bean enthusiasm is often greater than the time I have, so I will definitely be trying lots of your ideas! Thank you! :)
Sounds like you’ve got a lot of great stocking stuffers, too :)
I’ve been a RG Bean Club member for years. I always save the recipes that come in the quarterly box, they’re always simple and easy to riff off of, too!
Love that you mentioned Molly. That blog made me the cook I am today!
I love to add beans to a big braised piece of meat along with some greens to make a one pot meal.
So sweet about Molly + you’re one pot situation sounds delicious.
I make lots of Indian bean curries in my Instant Pot. When I cook beans for other dishes, I cook a pound of them in the IP, then drain them, then place 1.5 cup portions (approximately the amount of beans in a regular can) in ziplock freezer bags. Recipes usually call for canned beans, and I use these instead. I use Rancho Gordo’s rip zape beans in your Green Chili Braised Chicken with Pinto Beans recipe. It’s heavenly.
I forgot to say that I freeze the little ziplock bags in a labeled gallon bag.
very smart!!! love how you take care of your future self
This feels like a RG bean club support group. I too have a bean problem. I have a bean cart. It is FULL. ( My loved ones regularly haze me over said cart). Thank you for this newsletter- just the pep talk I needed to clear out some beans!
lol, you have found your people!!!!
So lovely to be in the company of other legume fans. :) I am so impressed with the creativity/variety of ideas here (no surprise!), and I have a few more to shout out. Julia, your refried beans and baked beans are both so easy and so outstanding. I've also started doing marinated beans after reading about them in the past year or so - very simple and versatile.
Love these additions!!!! What do you marinate your beans in? A vinaigrette?
Yes, exactly! I hope it's okay to share links here, I want to give proper credit - here they are in the context of a "pizza salad" from Jenny Rosenstrach's Weekday Vegetarians https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/08/29/marinated-beans-salad-recipe/, and here's a nice overview about the technique with a recipe link and variations from Ali Slagle https://tastecooking.com/marinated-beans-take-the-wheel/.
yes of course great to share links— thanks for these!
My absolute favorite bean recipe is white bean and bacon soup. Two cans of beans (or a bag, cooked!) plus half a pound of bacon (or ham, pancetta, etc) 32 oz of chicken broth, some garlic, some thyme, a little salt and pepper… Cook everything but the bacon together, crisp up the bacon, sprinkle it on top with some of your favorite cheese. Then curl up with it on the couch and enjoy!
this sounds soooo good...im going to make this soon!
thanks, laura. just whipped this up for lunch with my leftover RG marcella beans that i cooked up earlier this week using tamara's recipe above. as julia says, a pot of beans and many dishes. used sage instead of thyme because that's what i had leftover from thanksgiving stuffing and i subbed in pancetta that i had been waiting to use. thank you. divine!
love this community so much!!!!!!!!!
I get my husband to eat beans and greens by adding a little sausage - brown the sausage, add a can of white beans to warm through with a dash or three of crushed red pepper flakes, add greens to wilt, top with a squeeze of lemon juice and a shower of parmesan. Cozy, delicious and a little nutritious!
I make something similar all of the time!!! Love this combo.