Basic
Beans
Makes 2 to 3 cups
This recipe works for most
types of beans, and adapts to any flavorings you choose. Soaking
beans for up to 8 hours ahead of time will reduce cooking time,
and is recommended unless you have very fresh dried beans such
as those from Ayers Creek Farm. This recipe is a starting point:
You can use more, less or different aromatic vegetables,
including garlic or leeks. You can add herbs, such as fresh
thyme or sage; spices, such as dried chiles or peppercorns; or a
scrap of prosciutto or bacon if you want. For more character,
use a little stock in place of some of the water.
1 cup dried beans
1 small carrot, peeled, split lengthwise and cut into a few
chunks
1 small yellow onion, peeled and trimmed, leaving the root end
intact, and halved
1 bay leaf
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Rinse the beans and place in a
2-quart saucepan. Add cold water to cover by about an inch and
bring to a simmer. Skim any foam. Stir, then add the carrot,
onion and bay leaf. Maintaining a very gentle simmer, cook the
beans uncovered until tender but not mushy, anywhere from 30
minutes to 2 hours, depending on the variety of the bean and how
dry it was. Stir occasionally early on, especially if you are
cooking larger quantities, so those on the bottom are not
crushed, and add water as necessary so that the beans remain
just covered. To test for doneness, place a few beans and a
little cooking liquid in a cup and set in the freezer for a
minute to cool a bit. Taste one. If it is tender through and
shows no trace of raw starchiness, pull the pan from the heat
and add salt to taste, gently stirring to make sure it will be
evenly absorbed. Taste the bean liquid for salt, not the beans,
which will take a while to absorb it. Stir in the olive oil.
Serve immediately, alone or in
salads, brothy soups or pasta dishes. Otherwise, let the beans
cool in their liquid, then store, still in their liquid, covered
and refrigerated for up to 4 or 5 days.
-- Adapted from "Zuni Cafe
Cookbook," by Judy Rodgers
