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Bean History

BEAN HISTORY

 

National Bean Day, was January 6th, a time to celebrate beans in all their sizes, shapes, and colors.  Chili Smith is celebrating beans all the time – and especially in January! Green, red, black, lima, and soy are just a few examples of the types of beans we can salute on this special day. Approximately 40,000 bean varieties exist in the world!
The versatile bean can also be prepared in thousands of different ways—including main dishes, sauces, condiments, and even desserts! National Bean Day is celebrated every year on January 6th in honor of Gregor Mendel (who died on January 6, 1884). Mendel was an Austrian monk who discovered the principles of heredity by studying bean and pea plants in his garden. A pioneer in his field, Mendel is considered to be the father of modern genetics. 
THE HISTORY OF THE BEAN
Humans have been eating beans for a long time. In fact, archaeological evidence suggests that beans have been a staple food across cultures and continents for thousands of years.Studies show that beans were eaten in Thailand over 9000 years ago, and around the same time fava beans were being gathered in Afghanistan in the foothills of the Himalayas. 
Beans were also prominent in ancient Egypt where they were left in the tombs of ancient Egyptian kings as a symbolic way to feed the departed souls in the afterlife. The first cultivated bean (a large-seeded broad bean) appeared 4000 years ago in Europe, and archeologists have also found evidence of the existence of beans in Peru around the same time.
Beans played an important role in the history of the New World too. When colonists arrived in North America, the Native Americans showed them how to grow beans with corn so that the bean plants would grow tall by climbing on the cornstalks.
THE HEALTHFUL BEAN
An extremely healthful choice for a meal or a snack, beans are an important source of protein, fiber, folate, zinc, iron, and magnesium. Antioxidant-rich beans are also low in fat and high in intact carbohydrates. They are a member of the Fab Four—the four categories of foods you should include in your diet daily.
A study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition found that people who consumed beans regularly had a 22 percent lower risk of obesity and were more likely to have a smaller waist than people who did not eat beans.
Aside from promoting heart health, controlling weight and increasing longevity, eating beans may also lower blood cholesterol, reduce inflammation, help prevent cancer, stabilize blood glucose levels and prevent diabetes, and improve gut health.

Pressure Cooker Bean Cooking Times at a Glance

InstaPot
Beans (1 Cup Dry) Approximate Minutes Under High Pressure
Bean Soaked 4-8 hours Unsoaked Yield in Cups
Aduki 5—9 4—20 2
Anasazi 4—7 20—22 2 1/4
Black (turtle) 9—11 20—25 2
Black-eyed (cow) peas 9—11 2 1/4
Cannellini 9—12 22—25 2
Chick-peas (garbanzos) 10—12 30—40 2 1/2
Christmas lima 8—10 16—18 1 1/4
Cranberry 9—12 30—35 2 1/4
Fava* 12—18 22—28 2
Flageolets 10—14 17—22 2
Great Northern 8—12 25—30 2 1/4
Lentils 7—10 2
Lima (large) 4-7 12—16 2
Lima (baby) 5—7 12—15 2 1/2
Peas (split, green) 8—10 2
Peas (whote, green) 16—18 2
Pigeon Peas (grandules) 6—9 20—25 3
Pinto 4—6 22—25 2 1/4
Navy (pea) 6—8 16—25 2
Red Kidney 10—12 20—25 2
Scarlet Runner 12—14 17—20 1 1/4
Soybeans (beige) 9—12 28—35 2 1/4
Soybeans (black) 20—22 35—40 2 1/2

Dutch Oven Cowboy Beans by Chili Smith

Preparation:

  1. 14 oz package of Chili Smith Heritage Beans – we like Jacob’s Cattle Gold or maybe Tiger Eye. 
    – Rinse the beans and then soak them for eight to twelve hours in lots of water.
    – Drain the soak water, add a little salt and fresh water to a level just above the beans and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer for 40 minutes or an hour until tender to the touch.
  2. One pound of Bacon Ends and Pieces diced fine.
    – Sautee in a heavy bottom pan – we like cast iron.
  3. One large Onion – Margaret found natural green onions – we use yellow, red, or sweet
    – Dice in ¼ inch pieces and add to bacon until clear.
  4. 3-4 Garlic Cloves or one tablespoon of diced garlic
    – Add to batch and continue sautéing
  5. Add drained beans to mix – some cooks save the cooked beans water for other uses.
    – Fold all together and add sauce.

Sauce:

  1. One – 18 oz bottle of BBQ Sauce – we used KC Masterpiece KC Flavor – I like Stubbs Original brand as well.
  2. 1 or 1 ½ cups catsup
  3. 1 cup honey
  4. ¼ cup Dark Molasses
  5. Kosher or Himalayan Salt, Cracked Pepper, Garlic and Onion Powder to taste

If you like spicy – add some chili powder or crushed jalapeño peppers – I like to add that later for individual taste.

Stir the sauce into the beans and bacon mix and keep at simmer temp or just below for several hours with a lid on.

This can go in an oven at 200 degrees or over coals and covered with soil in a Dutch oven.

Can be served right away and/or refrigerated for great flavor blending.

This can freeze for use later.

You will find a dark, very fragrant, sweet and sour BBQ flavor that is incredible as a side dish with Burgers, Hot Dogs or all by itself for Fourth of July Parties and summer outings.

This will produce about one-half gallon of beans. For larger gatherings simply use a 28 oz package of beans and double the balance of ingredients.

Cowboy Up!

Wade and Margaret were from pioneering families in northern California and like many of the ranchers – then and now – they took their cattle from the valley to the higher elevations of the Sierra Mountain Range during the summer. There is less heat and still, plenty of nutritious green grass and cool, clean snowmelt water in the mountains east of Jonesville long after the grasses of winter and spring had dried in the valley.

Their summer home was an old mountain cabin in a beautiful meadow right on the path the stagecoach had taken years before. The barn and cottage had served as the changing station for horses pulling the stages and livery wagons up the Sierra. This was not an overnight destination in the old days of California – that was the Jonesville Hotel – this was a place to break while the hands changed horses for the next pull on the way towards Reno.

We always looked forward to visiting them because of the history and stories that were shared. Margaret was superb at fly fishing and Fresh Mountain Rainbow Trout were a steady part of their diet as was venison from the deer in the area. They had no indoor plumbing, electricity, propane or anything other than what was used in the days of the stagecoach station.

It was a very cool place to visit, and Wade and Margaret didn’t get many visitors on this all-but-forgotten dirt road. Their days consisted of doing all the chores necessary to live in a remote location and when not tending to cattle and other livestock, there was a small garden patch where fresh vegetables grew when the deer didn’t eat them! Shopping in a town was not even a weekly occurrence so when friends would come with the mail, we always knew to throw in some special items from town!

These were competent, self-sufficient and self-reliant people. There was nothing they could not do and they were great teachers and fun to be around.

After spending the day on horseback or moving some bales of feed from the barn for horses, milking to make butter (and that wonderful, rich, unpasteurized liquid that becomes milk), gathering and splitting wood for the stove and fire, gathering berries that grew naturally (“keep an eye out for the bears” Margaret would warn as we left with our pails…) or picking tiny little apples off trees planted by the original stagecoach workers and then making incredible jams and fresh pies made for big appetites! Oh, what appetites!

One of the staples always on hand was dried beans. Margaret made soups, chili, salads and seemingly everything with beans – and were they ever delicious! There was an outdoor cooking area on warm days and a place to gather around a nice fire on cool evenings and an antique wood-burning stove and oven in the cabin kitchen. What beautiful breads, pies, cobblers, and cakes came out of that thing! Always, always, there was a big cast iron Dutch oven keeping things hot or cooking something wonderful and often that was a simple dish that included beans. That heavy cast iron pot and a metal coffee pot seemed to be ready all the time.

Many times, those ovens were filled with “left-over’s” from other meals and – as cast iron will – took on a unique flavoring, and always good! Frontier cooks just learned to spice, blend and mix to create healthy, filling and deliciously long lasting meals! And the aroma?! Oh, my!

Well, this recipe is based on my memory of those days. It is simple, flavorful, and nutritious and gets better with age! It reminds me of that sweet couple and glorious times of old. Enjoy!

Flageolet Beans with Rosemary and Thyme

Flageolet Beans Basil

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces dried flageolet beans
  •  6 garlic cloves, peeled
  •  2 teaspoons kosher salt
  •  2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
  •  2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
  •  2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-in. slices on a diagonal
  •  About 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  •  1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

Directions

Put all ingredients including 2 tbsp. oil but not the sprigs or parsley in a 4- to 6-qt. slow-cooker. Add 5 cups boiling water and stir. Cover and cook until most of liquid is absorbed and beans are very tender, 2 1/4 to 3 hours on high or 4 to 4 1/2 hours on low.

Stir in 3 tbsp. parsley. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with more oil. Garnish with rosemary and thyme sprigs and remaining 1 tbsp. parsley.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per main-dish serving. Servings Serves 4 (8 or 9 as a side)

I cooked these on high in the crock pot and almost all the liquid was gone at the end of the time. I just added back a lot of water and stirred well. These came out much creamier than the picture and were delicious!

 

Amount Per Serving

Calories 365
Calories from Fat 19
Total Fat 7.9g
Saturated Fat 1.2g
Cholesterol 0.0mg
Sodium 787mg
Total Carbohydrate 56g
Dietary Fiber 14g
Protein 21g

Plant-based Cream of Asparagus Soup ala Twyla

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients: 

  • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed and chopped
  • 2 cups Flageolet beans (cooked)
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • Juice of one lime or to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste or no salt seasoning

Directions:

  1. Use water or broth to sauté onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent about 7 minutes.
  2. Add asparagus, beans and vegetable broth. (See other add variations). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until asparagus is tender.
  3. Transfer soup to a blender (this may have to be done in batches) and blend until smooth. Or use an immersion blender for desired consistency.
  4. Return to heat and stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper.
  5. Various toppings:  parsley, ground flax/chia seeds, Mary’s crackers, Flaxers, GF croutons, pumpkin seeds, riced cauliflower, non-dairy sour cream

Variations:  ADD during the peas/potatoes/rice/broccoli/cauliflower/

Delicious on baked potatoes, served over rice, served in a bread bowl, etc.  

Steveas Ham Bone Healthy Soup by Chili Smith

Note – This soup can be made with any Chili Smith Heirloom bean, and with or without meat.

Meat and Beans:

  • 1 pound Chili Smith Christmas Lima heirloom beans – presoak 8 – 12 hours in clear water – no salt or seasoning.Rinse and place in heavy bottom pot or pressure cooker with ham bone, ham shanks, ham hocks (or lamb!)
  • 1 quart water – make sure beans are covered
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 tablespoon Chili Smith Soup Seasoning – Garlic, Lemon Pepper, Oregano, Cumin, Dry Mustard, Salt and Paprika
  • Bring to boil or to 10 pounds pressure and reduce heat to simmering. Cook until tender – approximately 2 hours traditional or 15 – 20 minutes pressure While that is cooking…

Soup and Veggies:

  • Large heavy bottom pot – heat
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons Olive Oil – we like chipotle infused
  • 1 cup each diced sweet and red onion
  • 1 diced shallot

    Lift onions and mix with oil – cook until translucent

  • 1 each – Turnip, Yam and Sweet Potato– peeled and diced in 1” cubes or smaller
  • 2 cups – Summer Squash – I like the already prepared from Mann or Raley’s
  • Lift from bottom of pot to coat with onion/oil mix – WHEN all oil is absorbed…
  • 1 cup Organic Vegetable Broth – OR – beer – we like whatever is local…
  • Stir well and cover and allow steaming for five minutes…
  • 2 tablespoons Chili Smith Soup Seasoning – stirred into 1 cup additional broth – add to veggies and allow to come back to boiling
  • Cook at simmer until veggies are getting softer – NOT – fully cooked…
  • 1 medium (303 size) diced tomatoes in sauce – add entire can and sauce to pot and stir
  • Allow to return to simmer, stir well, cover and shut off until beans and meat are ready…

Blend:

  • Add meat and beans to soup pot – aren’t you glad you got a BIG one now? – and turn gently from bottom.
  • Bring back to simmer and allow to gently cook for 15 minutes or more until everything is ready!
  • Add a little moisture – water or broth – if needed
  • DO NOT overcook!

WAIT!:

It is ready to eat and will be delicious now, but will be even better after is has chilled and rested in the refrigerator overnight.

Toppings:

Sour cream, Corn or Tortilla Chips, Diced Green Onions or jalapeños, Sharp Cheddar Cheese – shredded and excellent with fresh Cornbread…

Leftovers:

Freezes very well or can be refrigerated for several days for ‘grab and heat’ quickie meals.

Black-And-White Summer Bean Salad Chili Smith – Adopted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white beans – fully cooked They suggest canned, we think ours are more flavorful and nutritious Use Hutterite, White Eye, Rice Bean, Runner Cannellini.
  • 1 cup black beans Black Valentine, Sunset Runner, maybe Hidatsa Red. Think about color and texture along with flavor. Black Calypso, Good Mother Stallard, CHRISTMAS LIMA, and several other Chili Smith heirloom beans will make this formula tasty and beautiful! We did this one with Hidatsa Red, Rice bean and Black Valentine for an almost Red, White and Blue celebration!
  • 1 large tomato, diced – preferably fresh from your garden, or a good neighbor!
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 medium celery rib, diced
  • 2 Tbsp white or red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp minced fresh Italian parsley or basil
  • Salt and Pepper – to taste

Method:

  1. Cook, drain and chill beans
  2. In a large bowl, combine beans, tomato, onion and celery. Gently stir in vinegar and sprinkle with parsley or basil; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 4 – Yields 1 cup salad per serving

Chili Smith Christmas Lima Beans with Honey Baked Ham by Carol Radkins

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound Chili Smith Christmas Lima Beans
  • About 1.3 of a Honey Baked Ham, including bone
  • 2 cups of water from ham
  • 2 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs butter
  • 1 large diced onion
  • 3 carrots, cut about 1″
  • 3 cups of chicken broth
  • 5 Baby Bok Choy

Directions:

  1. Soak 1 pound Chili Smith Christmas Lima Beans in fresh water overnight, following package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, take about 1/3 of a Honey Baked Ham, including the bone, and simmer for 2 hours, in a large covered pot. Cut excess meat from the bone and set aside. Keep 2 cups of water from ham.
  3. In another large stock pot, sauté with 2 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs butter, 1diced large onion, 3 carrots, cut about 1″ – Until golden brown.
  4. In the large stock pot, add the plumped beans, the cut up ham (including the bone), the 2 cups of ham water, and 2 cups of chicken broth to the sautéed veg. Simmer covered, for another 45 minutes, until beans are tender.
  5. Clean and chop 5 baby Bok Choy, and add to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes covered, then turn the heat off and let sit for 20 minutes. Salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Autumn Vegetable Succotash by Chili Smith

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (for a vegan recipe, use Earth Balance)
  • 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 red bell peppers, cut into ¼-inch dice
  • 2 zucchini, cut into ¼-inch dice 2 yellow summer squash, cut into ¼- inch dice 1 cup Chili Smith Christmas Lima (pre-cooked) 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, coarsely chopped

Directions:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onion, cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, zucchini, squash, Lima beans, and corn. Season with salt and black pepper; cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in Sage, and serve.

Beans And Greens Soup by Chili Smith

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound pinto beans, sorted, washed and soaked in water for 12 hours (We recommend our Eye Of the Goat)
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin seed
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
  • 4 cup finely chopped kale, chard, collards or mustard greens, cooked
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 – 1 1/2 tbs cider vinegar
  • pepper, to taste
  • 2 cup diced fresh tomato
  • 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt or sour cream (Can use a vegan Sour cream)

Preparation:

Drain soaked beans and place in a heavy, deep, non-aluminum pan. Add garlic, onion, cumin seed, red pepper flakes and enough water to cover by 2”. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer and cook, covered, about 1 – 1 ½ hours. Add more water as needed. Stir often and cook until beans are tender.

Using about half the bean mixture, carefully purée in blender. Return to pot with other beans. Add cilantro and smoke flavoring. Continue to cook for 10 – 15 minutes, covered. If necessary, add water or chicken broth or veggie broth to thin soup. Cook greens as directed on package. Toss greens with olive oil and stir into soup with salt and vinegar to taste. To serve, season with ground pepper. Spoon hot soup into bowls and top with ½ c. chopped tomatoes and a tablespoon of yogurt or sour cream.

Serves 8: (1 ½ c. servings)

Prep time: 2 hours

Per serving: cal 279, fat 5 g, sat fat 1 g, % cal from fat 16%, pro 15 g, carbo 46 f, chol 0, fiber 16.5 g, sod. 340 mg