love letter to legumes

Written by Published on in Garden, Kitchen

CHICKPEA TO COOK

A chickpea leaps almost over the rim of the pot where it is being boiled.

Why are you doing this to me?

The cook knocks him down with the ladle.

Don’t try to jump out.
You think I’m torturing you.
I’m giving you flavor,
So you can mix with spices and rice
And be the lovely vitality of a human being.

Rumi

I love legumes. They are the powerhouse of my pantry and the glory of my garden. From the first, snappy peas of spring to the dried jewels of winter, they sustain me. Their versatility is unmatched- the shoots can be added at the last minute to a stir fry, flowers add beauty to salads, pods can be cooked every imaginable way, and seeds add protein to soups, salads, and gratins. You can even use the cooking liquid for soup stock. Aquafaba, the cooking liquid from chickpeas, can be used to make vegan meringue. Dried soybeans can be made into soy milk and tofu, which is not much harder than making ricotta. Once I learned how easy it was to cook a pot of dried beans, I donated all the canned beans I had in my pantry because I simply wasn’t using them anymore. And when I discovered how beautiful and prolific they are in the garden, I installed tall arches so I can literally be surrounded by them in late summer.

A younger me falling in love with the heirloom beans of Rancho Gordo at the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in 2007 and a sampling of my current bean stash.

There are about 18,000 types of legumes. I was introduced to the incredible world of heirloom beans at the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in 2007 when I happened upon the Rancho Gordo stand. I tucked away a few bags in my luggage and have been keeping my eyes out for interesting varieties ever since. I have over 30 varieties in my pantry of all sorts of shapes, colors, and textures. Some of them are quite commonplace, like chickpeas or pinto, and others are more unusual like Cicerchia, Negro Santanero, and Moro. They are best used within the first 2 years of harvest but that isn’t a problem when we are cooking at least 2 pounds a week! I nearly always have a bowl of them soaking on the counter or cooking in the clay pot or multicooker.

The lush foliage and vibrant blossoms make peas and beans a beautiful addition to a kitchen garden. Some varieties will grow at least 10 feet tall so give them adequate support.

Last year I grew a variety of legumes in my garden- Sugar Magnolias, Royal Coronas, Rio Zapes, Cassoulet beans from French Tarbais stock, Yellow Eye, Asparagus beans that grew 16 inches long, and soy beans for edamame. They were gorgeous in the garden with lovely blooms that attracted pollinators. I enjoyed watching the bees collecting pollen and nectar from the enormous Royal Corona flowers. They were also incredibly prolific- we ate the pods nearly everyday and could not keep up. Then we were rewarded with a rare treasure- shelling beans. When the pods become too tough to eat, you can shell the plump seeds inside. They have a slightly “greener” flavor than their dried counterparts and cook much quicker as well.

I like to keep a large variety of legumes in my pantry since they are our main source of protein. I used a few of the varieties that we enjoyed eating as seed stock for the garden. They were very prolific and we harvested shelling beans of several varieties including Rio Zapes- pictured on the right.

There are many methods of cooking dried beans with all kinds of promises from less gas to more flavor and tenderness. I’ve tried every method I’ve ever come across and there are 3 basic ways that I have settled on. I always soak beans for 6-48 hours depending on size and variety. Smaller beans I may only soak for a few hours and the huge Gigantes or Royal Coronas I may soak for 2 days. After that I cook them either in a multicooker or on the stovetop depending on how much attention I have to give to them. The stovetop method is for days off or weekends while the multicooker makes sure that I have beans on weekdays. Sometimes I will soak beans during the daytime hours and then set the pot in the coals to cook overnight on the coals of a fire in our fireplace or outside fire pit, making use of the residual heat and energy.

Cooking your own beans increases the variety of beans that you can use in your dishes, like these Domingo Rojo beans for Red Beans and Rice or Mayocoba in a veggie bowl with roasted cauliflower.

When you cook beans yourself, you have control over the flavor of the bean broth and you can vary the aromatics and spices that you use depending on the final dish you are making. Or you can keep it simple and enjoy the pleasure of a bowl of beans cooked with nothing but salt and perhaps an onion or clove of garlic. I personally think that fennel is one of the best aromatics for beans and it makes use of the tough fennel stalks that would otherwise go into the compost pile. I hope you try one of these methods and let beans become a springboard for many creative dishes!

a simple pot of beans
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a simple pot of beans

Recipe by Keri

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound dried beans or peas

  • water to cover by 2 inches plus more for soaking

  • 2 tsp salt

  • aromatics and spices of your choice- onions, celery, garlic, fennel, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, epazote, cumin, chili, lemon

Directions

  • Soak beans for 6-48 hours depending on size. Most will at least double in size and some will be more than triple their dried size. You can add a tablespoon of salt to brine the beans while they soak if you’d like. Some people believe that adding salt at this stage or too early in cooking toughens the skins but I have not found this to be the case.
  • Multicooker Method
  • Drain beans and add to multicooker with 2 inches of water to cover. My multicooker has a setting called “reduce” during which it brings the water to a boil and holds it for 10 minutes. You could also use a sauté setting to bring the water to a boil and then keep it at a boil for 10 minutes. This step is essential to deactivate the lectins and make the beans digestible.
  • Add 2 tsp of salt and any aromatics you are using and use the slow cook setting to cook for 6-8 hours or until beans are tender. The rule of thumb is to check 5 beans since they vary in size and don’t cook at the same rate. Beans that seem mealy need more time and can undergo a surprising change in texture, becoming dense and creamy.
  • Remove any aromatics like celery stalks and bay leaves and serve with a bit of the bean broth. Or use in recipe of your choice.
  • Stovetop Method
  • Drain soaked beans and add to large pot- I like either clay or cast iron. Add water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to a simmer.
  • Add 2 tsp of salt and aromatics of your choice. The cook time can vary from 30 minutes to 2+ hours depending on the variety and age of the beans you are using (this doesn’t always relate to the size, tepary beans are small but take a long time to cook). Keep cooking until you can remove 5 beans from the pot and they are all cooked perfectly. Add water as needed to keep the beans submerged.
  • Remove any aromatics like celery stalks and bay leaves and serve with a bit of the bean broth. Or use in recipe of your choice.
  • Hot Coals Method
  • Drain soaked beans and add to a cast iron pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches and place on top of hot coals. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.
  • Using heavy duty heat and fire resistant gloves, remove the pot from the coals and place near the edge of the hot coals. Normally the cooking surface that heats your food comes from the bottom of the pan, in this case, the coals will heat the side of the pot. Leave the beans to cook and then cool overnight and check for doneness in the morning. Cook further on the stovetop as needed.
  • Remove any aromatics like celery stalks and bay leaves and serve with a bit of the bean broth. Or use in recipe of your choice.