What did you do in the garden today?

[IamRainey]

Special thanks to igorsmistress for pointing me at this thread!

I find it enormously interesting and informative. And it's great and inspirational distraction while I wait for my garden to get up a head of steam.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Beans for drying come in both bush and pole varieties. Since I typically make bean soup with smoked ham hock or smoked pulled pork, the qualities of cooking up plump and that they can be mashed or blended to make a creamy base are important. Usually, once cooked I'll mash some of the beans against side of the pot until the base is thickened, but it is still very chunky with at least half of the beans still whole, and base looks more broth-like/ not so opaque . Sometimes, I take out beans and soup base from the pot and blend till smooth in a blender, leaving majority of beans whole, but base looks much "creamier" that way. Any pork get removed from the ham hock and shredded and returned to the soup pot. Freezes great! My entire family gets excited when I tell them it is bean soup for dinner.

I've had canned "baked Beans", but only had homemade baked beans this year. Kid did a cooking project in 4-H on various regional US dishes, and baked beans was one such dish that needed to be prepared. While good, it was too sweet for my taste, but am guessing that there is a wide range of baked bean dishes found in the NE.

The varieties of beans I'm growing this year are
1. "Good Mother Stallard" - a pole variety. Savory and very creamy and plump when cooked.

2. "Lena Cisco Bird Egg" - bush variety. Similar to the one above.

3. "Calypso" - bush variety. Its been awhile since I've cooked this one, and cant remember particular qualities, but I don't recall it being so plump and creamy in soup, so this will add some additional texture to the soup.

4. "Black Valentine" Bush type. I've never grown it nor eaten it, but grew it bc I wanted to give myself a reason to try some black bean recipes (beyond the quick version of using a can opener).


Word of advice: Don't grow green beans next to the beans for drying. If not labelled well enough, you'll find that you have some dried green beans mixed in with the actual dried beans you wanted....

Thanks for the tip. I have a good recipe for Boston Baked Beans. I make a vegetarian version, quite tasty and it’s not all that sweet.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Just a side note: my pickles finally made it to the rolling boil stage in processing. Next up plumping my peaches. No jokes! I’m going to try the two to three day plumping and see how that goes. I got these peaches from the same farm I got apples from last year. These are “B” grade and they look immensely better than what you get in the grocery store.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Just headed to clean my coops late wake up here pain level is 13 can't seem to get it down

 

[Acre4Me]

Let me know if you'd like the recipe.

I can also give you a recipe for baked beans that isn't sweet.

Yes, please!

 

[WthrLady]

Yes, please!

DITTO!

 

[IamRainey]

This is the original recipe I got. I cook mine far longer and it will keep developing deeper richer flavor if you do.

Cuban Style Black Bean Soup

Recipe By: the Kitchn
Serving Size: 8

This is an interpretation of a Cuban recipe. I’ve modified the Kitchn’s recipe according to the comments of some Cuban readers. Apparently, a proper Cuban uses ham hocks with red bean soup but not black bean soup. Still, it sounds so good and I love black beans I left them in.

Another thing they all noted is that it should begin with a proper sofrito and have cumin and oregano. Some say cilantro is Mexican and not Cuban. And many said no peppers because heat is not a feature of Cuban food. I added jalapeño but I’m careful to eliminate the heat by seeding and deveining the flesh first.

Cubans serve this with white rice and the soup is poured over it.

In the future if I go more “style” than “Cuban” diced tomato and a bit of dark beer sound good to me too.

1 lb. dried black beans

SOFRITO
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded, de-veined and finely minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1 medium onion, finely chopped

SOUP
presoaked beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 ham bone or smoked ham hock or shank
1-2 teaspoons oregano
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
sofrito

GARNISH
sour cream
green onions, white & green leaves, chopped
raw red pepper, chopped
fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped


The night before cooking the soup, place beans in a colander and wash them with cold running water. Pick out any rocks or beans that are broken or shriveled. Put the beans in a large (4 quarts or larger) Dutch oven or soup pot with a lid and cover with enough cold water so that it comes to one inch over the top of the beans. Soak overnight.

SOFRITO

Carefully seed and de-vein the jalapeño. Finely chop the onion, peppers and garlic. A slap chopper makes quick work of this step.

Warm the olive oil. Add the vegetables and the cumin and sauté until fragrant.

SOUP

Preheat the oven to 325˚.

On the stovetop, bring the pre-soaked beans to a boil over high heat. Skim off any white foam.

Add the sofrito, ham bone or shank, oregano, bay leaves, sugar, olive oil and salt and pepper and cover. Transfer the soup pot to the warmed oven. Cook for an undetermined time which may be 4-5 hours or may be 12 hours or longer. No matter. Once it goes in the oven it’s not going to take more of your attention that to check at intervals of about 2 hours to stir and to see if the liquid needs adjusting to keep the beans from drying out. Continue oven simmering until the beans are largely broken down and the soup is velvety enough to coat the back of a spoon.

All the time you take to let this soup simmer will definitely pay off in deep flavor.

At any time after 4 or 5 hours you can remove the ham hock and refrigerate until it’s cool enough to handle. When it’s comfortable to work with, move to a large cutting board trying to keep it intact. Clean the skin from the hock and the fat and meat from the bones. Then chop the meat coarsely and add this back to the simmering soup.

Once the soup coats a spoon you can, if you choose, cool it to allow the fat to collect and solidify so you can defat it.

Taste and add the vinegar also correcting the salt & pepper and sugar to produce a balanced flavor. Simmer for 15 more minutes to let the favors meld.

Serve, allowing everyone to add onions, red pepper, cilantro and sour cream to taste as a garnish.



Old Fashioned Baked Beans

Recipe By: Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book
Serving Size: 10


Not my Maine great aunt's baked beans but I've adjusted the Better Homes & Gardens recipe for what I remember of how she cooked hers and it works to make one of Steve's favorites.

There's controversy over whether adding salt to the water beans are initially cooked in prevents them from getting really tender. I think it adds flavor so I use some and cook the beans longer.

One thing that's really very important for beans is to cook them as gently as possible. A longer lower simmer will keep all the skins and the soft interiors intact. Meanwhile, the cooking time is a pretty flexible thing so long as you check on the beans and don't allow them to dry out. This means you can do them with a barbequed piece of meat that's smoking at only 225˚ so long as you adjust the time to fully cook them.

1 1/2 pound navy or Great Northern beans, (about 2 1/3 cups)
1/4 pound bacon, or salt pork plus additional for topping pot
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
3/4 cup molasses, maple syrup is an alternative but doesn't have the dense characteristic flavor
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Rinse beans and allow to soak overnight or 8 hours in a brine of water flavored with a pinch each of granulated garlic and powdered ginger. ALTERNATIVELY, in a large pot combine beans and 8 cups of water with the garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and allow to soak for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300˚.

Whether boiled or passively soaked, drain and rinse the beans. Return them to the pot. Cover with 8 cups of fresh water with pinches of garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours until the beans are just tender. Drain the beans reserving the cooking water.

Place the beans and the chopped onion in a 2 1/2 quart bean pot with a narrow neck or a casserole with a tight fitting cover. (They may well not all fit.) A small whole onion stuck with a couple whole cloves can also be added at the top where it can easily be removed. Meanwhile prepare a cooking liquid of the molasses, brown sugar, seasonings and 1 cup of the reserved cooking water. Pour over beans adding additional reserved cooking water to make sure the beans are completely covered. Place strips of bacon or the slab of salt pork to cover all and prevent drying out during cooking. Cover bean pot or casserole.

Bake about 2 1/2- 3 1/2 hours or until beans are very tender and dark checking periodically during baking and adding additional reserved cooking liquid as necessary to keep beans very moist. Remove whole onion, if used, and the bacon or salt pork as well to serve.

 

[Acre4Me]

This is the original recipe I got. I cook mine far longer and it will keep developing deeper richer flavor if you do.

Cuban Style Black Bean Soup

Recipe By: the Kitchn
Serving Size: 8

This is an interpretation of a Cuban recipe. I’ve modified the Kitchn’s recipe according to the comments of some Cuban readers. Apparently, a proper Cuban uses ham hocks with red bean soup but not black bean soup. Still, it sounds so good and I love black beans I left them in.

Another thing they all noted is that it should begin with a proper sofrito and have cumin and oregano. Some say cilantro is Mexican and not Cuban. And many said no peppers because heat is not a feature of Cuban food. I added jalapeño but I’m careful to eliminate the heat by seeding and deveining the flesh first.

Cubans serve this with white rice and the soup is poured over it.

In the future if I go more “style” than “Cuban” diced tomato and a bit of dark beer sound good to me too.

1 lb. dried black beans

SOFRITO
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded, de-veined and finely minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1 medium onion, finely chopped

SOUP
presoaked beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 ham bone or smoked ham hock or shank
1-2 teaspoons oregano
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
sofrito

GARNISH
sour cream
green onions, white & green leaves, chopped
raw red pepper, chopped
fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped


The night before cooking the soup, place beans in a colander and wash them with cold running water. Pick out any rocks or beans that are broken or shriveled. Put the beans in a large (4 quarts or larger) Dutch oven or soup pot with a lid and cover with enough cold water so that it comes to one inch over the top of the beans. Soak overnight.

SOFRITO

Carefully seed and de-vein the jalapeño. Finely chop the onion, peppers and garlic. A slap chopper makes quick work of this step.

Warm the olive oil. Add the vegetables and the cumin and sauté until fragrant.

SOUP

Preheat the oven to 325˚.

On the stovetop, bring the pre-soaked beans to a boil over high heat. Skim off any white foam.

Add the sofrito, ham bone or shank, oregano, bay leaves, sugar, olive oil and salt and pepper and cover. Transfer the soup pot to the warmed oven. Cook for an undetermined time which may be 4-5 hours or may be 12 hours or longer. No matter. Once it goes in the oven it’s not going to take more of your attention that to check at intervals of about 2 hours to stir and to see if the liquid needs adjusting to keep the beans from drying out. Continue oven simmering until the beans are largely broken down and the soup is velvety enough to coat the back of a spoon.

All the time you take to let this soup simmer will definitely pay off in deep flavor.

At any time after 4 or 5 hours you can remove the ham hock and refrigerate until it’s cool enough to handle. When it’s comfortable to work with, move to a large cutting board trying to keep it intact. Clean the skin from the hock and the fat and meat from the bones. Then chop the meat coarsely and add this back to the simmering soup.

Once the soup coats a spoon you can, if you choose, cool it to allow the fat to collect and solidify so you can defat it.

Taste and add the vinegar also correcting the salt & pepper and sugar to produce a balanced flavor. Simmer for 15 more minutes to let the favors meld.

Serve, allowing everyone to add onions, red pepper, cilantro and sour cream to taste as a garnish.



Old Fashioned Baked Beans

Recipe By: Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book
Serving Size: 10


Not my Maine great aunt's baked beans but I've adjusted the Better Homes & Gardens recipe for what I remember of how she cooked hers and it works to make one of Steve's favorites.

There's controversy over whether adding salt to the water beans are initially cooked in prevents them from getting really tender. I think it adds flavor so I use some and cook the beans longer.

One thing that's really very important for beans is to cook them as gently as possible. A longer lower simmer will keep all the skins and the soft interiors intact. Meanwhile, the cooking time is a pretty flexible thing so long as you check on the beans and don't allow them to dry out. This means you can do them with a barbequed piece of meat that's smoking at only 225˚ so long as you adjust the time to fully cook them.

1 1/2 pound navy or Great Northern beans, (about 2 1/3 cups)
1/4 pound bacon, or salt pork plus additional for topping pot
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
3/4 cup molasses, maple syrup is an alternative but doesn't have the dense characteristic flavor
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Rinse beans and allow to soak overnight or 8 hours in a brine of water flavored with a pinch each of granulated garlic and powdered ginger. ALTERNATIVELY, in a large pot combine beans and 8 cups of water with the garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and allow to soak for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300˚.

Whether boiled or passively soaked, drain and rinse the beans. Return them to the pot. Cover with 8 cups of fresh water with pinches of garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours until the beans are just tender. Drain the beans reserving the cooking water.

Place the beans and the chopped onion in a 2 1/2 quart bean pot with a narrow neck or a casserole with a tight fitting cover. (They may well not all fit.) A small whole onion stuck with a couple whole cloves can also be added at the top where it can easily be removed. Meanwhile prepare a cooking liquid of the molasses, brown sugar, seasonings and 1 cup of the reserved cooking water. Pour over beans adding additional reserved cooking water to make sure the beans are completely covered. Place strips of bacon or the slab of salt pork to cover all and prevent drying out during cooking. Cover bean pot or casserole.

Bake about 2 1/2- 3 1/2 hours or until beans are very tender and dark checking periodically during baking and adding additional reserved cooking liquid as necessary to keep beans very moist. Remove whole onion, if used, and the bacon or salt pork as well to serve.

Thanks!! Both sound yummy!!

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Just headed to clean my coops late wake up here pain level is 13 can't seem to get it down

Ouch, Penny! So sorry to hear it. My arthritis acts up on rainy days, too.

 

[pennyJo1960]

thanks use allot of aspercream with lidocaine now go back to tramadol over 16 on pain
Doc and I had our own pain scale so sorry to loose him doubt if I will find that amount of understanding between us