beans, beans, beans

We had our Labor day barbeque yesterday, which called for baked beans, among other things. They weren't really baked and they definitely were not of the Bostonian type, but they seemed to be a pretty big hit, so here is the recipe:

Baked Beans

2 Lbs. navy beans

2 cups Onion, Chopped

2 Tb. Garlic, minced

1 28 Oz, can Stewed Tomatoes

14 1/2 Oz. can Vegetable Stock

6 Tb. Molasses 6 Tb. Maple Syrup

1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tb. Tamarind Paste

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Tb. Marjoram

2 Tb. Tomato Paste

2 ts. Smoked Paprika

1 Tb. Aleppo Pepper

1 Tb. Urfa Pepper

Salt

Pepper

extra prep seasoning: salt, bay leaf, dried rosemary, water.

Take your beans and wash them thoroughly, making sure that you find and discard any foreign matter (small rocks, stones, twigs, or Volvos). When it is safe to proceed place it in a really big cooking pot, large enough to cover the beans with plenty of water and create a dramatic effect (see photo for example). Add enough water to cover the beans and allow for expansion. Add some bay leaf, dried rosemary and salt. I used approximately four large leaves, 1 Tablespoon and a small fistful, respectively. Hey, if you are going to soak beans overnight you may as well season it a little, eh? Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat under it on high; bring it to a boil and then turn it down to low, cover and let simmer for a while. This step is practically useless if you plan on leaving them to soak overnight, but I did it anyway. Turn the heat off and leave it there until sometime tomorrow. Go shopping. Go see "The Dark Knight". See it several times. Eat something else for dinner. Go to bed.

Return to your beans, drain the water and remove the bay leaves. You may rinse them if you like but it really isn't necessary. Place the beans back in the pot and add all of the other ingredients. You may need to add a little more water to adjust the level, but mine were fine with the liquid amounts as listed here. Turn that fire back on, bringing it to a boil once more, and then turn it down to low, cover and let simmer for the rest of the day. They should thicken nicely after several hours.

If you haven't done so already, invite lots of people over. Make sure they have names like Keith or Chrissie or Joel or Liz or Annabel and Cheryl or Chip or Anne or Sarah or Ken and Nathan or Jen. You know - good, solid Christian names that exemplify a good, hearty and healthy appetite. Make some other stuff to go along with it, because while beans are really, really great, by themselves they can become a little tedious.

Suggestions:

Beer

Hamburgers

Bratwursts

Ribs

Fresh local farm raised Corn on the Cob

Chips and dip

Fresh Fruit Salad

~and~

Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes (again, fresh from the local farm share).

2 to 3 Lbs. Red Bliss Potatoes, cut into 1" cubes

Olive Oil

1 1/2 Heads of fresh Garlic, cloves crushed

1/4 Cup fresh Rosemary, chopped

Salt

Pepper (bonus points for using fresh cracked black pepper)

Preheat your oven to 400/ 450 degrees ( I used the higher setting, but 400 will probably do well). Lightly oil your cooking sheets and place them in the oven to get hot. Cut the potatoes, crush the garlic, chop the rosemary and place it all in a large bowl. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat everything, add salt and pepper. Toss it all until mixed and coated well. Place the mix evenly on the hot cooking pans - by doing this you want to sear part of the potato surface. Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve.