Food Lesson from Fifth Grade

This weekend, I helped my 10 year old daughter study a chapter in her science book called ‘Diet and Nutrition’. My eyes were drawn to the photo of dried beans because the caption below read ‘Beans provide precious protein at low cost’. It also stated that beans were rich in dietary fiber and act as a broom to sweep away toxins from our bodies.

My daughter and I looked at each other and had a laugh. I had just returned from the market with a crate of fresh borlotti beans- my springtime favorite. I still remember noticing an older man (70+) at the market years back picking up a wooden crate full of fresh beans. He put them on his bike basket and rode home as the woman selling them yelled out ‘make sure your wife lets them dry a little before cooking’. When in Italy, do as the locals do and so I also bought my crate of fresh beans and have been enjoying them in May ever since.

My kids shrug a little when they see me come home with them because they know that they will be eating bean salads, bean soups, bean dips, pasta and beans, etc. on and off for about a month. The fresh beans are so great because they cook faster, do not require soaking and they taste great.

Most people have gotten away from the old-fashioned way of soaking cooking themselves and choose canned. That is a shame because beans prepared at home are easier to digest, economical, store well, and after all, it really is easy to soak them before you leave for work in the morning and boil them while you make dinner. Plus, you can avoid the can! At times, our diets today have become too rich and abundant, so it feels good to eat simple and economical.

TIPS ON BEANS-

• As with everything, it is the variety that will make or break your dinner, so seek out heirloom beans. We have found many great people growing and selling heirloom beans online.
• After cooking, drain and let chill. Mix with diced red onion, parsley, chopped tomatoes and apple cider vinegar for a refreshing salad. If you add brown rice, you have a complete meal.
• Make your own re-fried beans. Soak and cook black beans. Saute one chopped large onion in a large frying pan with olive oil until soft. Add beans with a ladle of cooking liquid and mash with a potato masher, adding the cooking water as needed so the beans don’t stick. Season and simmer with cumin after mashing, until they dry out to the right consistency. (We are going by memory. The original recipe is from Anne Marie Coblin’s The Natural Gourmet.)
• Soak and cook beans with extra water and a finely chopped onion, carrot and celery stalk for an easy bean soup. When the beans are done, break up spaghetti into inch long pieces to cook in the soup. Go very light on the spaghetti or it will thicken the soup too much. Serve with a drizzle of fresh extra virgin olive.