More Gifts from the Bean Man

Kristina Sepetys reviews The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, 
written with Julia Newberry and published in 2024 by Ten Speed Press

Market Hall Foods welcomes Steve Sando, founder of Rancho Gordo heirloom bean company, for a book signing event with his seventh cookbook, The Bean Book, on Saturday, October 19, 2024, noon–2pm, at Rockridge Market Hall, Oakland.  More info here.

Read our book review below and try two of the many satisfying recipes from the book.

 

 

Many food enthusiasts have become familiar with the cellophane-wrapped packages of Rancho Gordo heirloom beans with their distinctive red, white, and black retro-looking labels. Each tightly wrapped little brick contains one of the many varieties of colorful, fascinatingly patterned dried heirloom beans that the company produces: smooth, pale purple Ayocote Morados; caramel-brown Buckeyes; pastel green Flageolets; Vaqueros that resemble the hide of an Appaloosa horse or Holstein cow; deep crimson Scarlet Runners; wrinkled, tooth-like white Italian Cicerchias; and many more.

Of course, it’s hard to go wrong with beans. Slow-cook them with some seasonings and they’re bound to be good. That said, I suspect there’s a way to cook each variety that plays to its particular strengths and highlights the bean’s unique flavor and texture. Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando has produced several books about his beans to help cooks discover how to do just that. And he’s just produced another terrific addition to that collection with The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, written with Julia Newberry and published in 2024 by Ten Speed Press. The new handsomely photographed cookbook includes 100 recipes—from dips to soups, salads, mains, sides, and desserts—for cooking more than 50 bean varieties, every single one producing a beautiful dish.

Through the two decades that the Napa-based Rancho Gordo company has been around, its beans have become favorites with home cooks and chefs alike, so it’s no surprise that The Bean Book includes standout recipes from chefs and bloggers. The roasted garlic squash dip made with creamy, chocolate-inflected Buckeye beans inspired by food blog The First Mess speaks eloquently to the fall harvest season as does a hummus created by Emma Lipp at the Valley Bar and Bottle that uses Rancho Gordo’s firm and nutty Black Garbanzo beans. Jeremy Fox, chef at Napa’s former Ubuntu, offers a hearty tomato soup that pairs sweet, earthy Yellow Eye beans with San Marzano tomatoes, rustic bread, and a mix of Italian spices. There’s also a toothsome white bean pie inspired by Oakland’s Black Muslim Bakery that’s made with mashed, silky smooth Alubia Blanca beans.

Besides recipes, the new Bean Book offers lots of good preparation suggestions and helpful tips like using the flavorful broth left over from cooking dried beans to replace water when cooking rice, thus adding extra protein and flavor to the dish.

This cookbook includes some great recipes to expand your bean repertoire, and if you’re looking to introduce someone to a special Bay Area product, a copy of The Bean Book wrapped up with a few bags of the jewel-like Rancho Gordo beans could be the perfect gift!

Bon appetite!

Note: Edible East Bay recommends supporting your community by purchasing books through independently owned local businesses. Visit Indiebound.org to purchase this book from your local independent bookstore.

The recipes and images below are reprinted with permission from The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen by Steve Sando with Julia Newberry, copyright © 2024. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Text copyright © 2024 by Steve Sando. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Ed Anderson.

 

HEIRLOOM BEAN AND CARAMELIZED FENNEL GRATIN

Reprinted with permission from The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen by Steve Sando with Julia Newberry, copyright © 2024. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Text copyright © 2024 by Steve Sando. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Ed Anderson

A good party can benefit from a large casserole. Much of the work can be completed ahead, and the final cooking can be done as guests arrive and enjoy drinks and appetizers. This casserole and a big salad would make a perfect dinner. If you’d like to enjoy this gratin as a rich side with meat, choose something simple and grilled.

Makes 4 servings

• 2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 leek, rinsed and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 to 6 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped and stems discarded
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 3 to 4 cups cooked, drained white or light beans, such as Rancho Gordo Yellow Eye beans
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus a squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Minced fresh basil for garnish

FOR THE TOPPING

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter or olive oil
• ½ cup dried bread crumbs
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut the fennel bulbs in half; cut crosswise into slices about ½ inch thick, then roughly chop. Rinse well and set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the leek and sauté until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove the leek from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, then add the fennel, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Sauté until the fennel is soft and beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Cook for about 5 minutes to reduce. Stir in the leek, beans, and lemon zest and juice. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer the mixture to a wide baking dish or gratin.
4. Prepare the topping: In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the bread crumbs and cheese. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the mixture over the casserole in the baking dish.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until beginning to bubble, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.

 

BEANS À LA VERACRUZANA WITH OLIVES, TOMATOES, AND CAPERS

Reprinted with permission from The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen by Steve Sando with Julia Newberry, copyright © 2024. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Text copyright © 2024 by Steve Sando, Photographs copyright © 2024 by Ed Anderson

In Mexico, Veracruz is rightly considered one of the country’s culinary hot spots. Since it’s located on the coast, seafood is naturally a huge component of the cuisine, and Huachinango à la Veracruzana is one of the most famous dishes. A whole fresh snapper is smothered in a tomato, caper, chile, and olive sauce and baked to perfection. This method works with snapper fillets and even other kinds of fish. It dawned on us that big white beans could replace the fish, and after some experimentation, we were right. If you have a few potatoes lying around, consider boiling them, cutting them into bite-size chunks, and adding them as well.

Makes 4 servings

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
• 1 ½ cups canned crushed tomatoes, juice reserved, or 5 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• ½ cup halved green olives
• ¼ cup capers, drained
• ½ to 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or bean broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 ½ cups cooked, drained large white heirloom beans, such as Rancho Gordo Royal Corona or Large White Lima beans, bean broth reserved (see above)
• 2 to 3 small potatoes, boiled and cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
• Cooked white rice (optional)

1. In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chile and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer until the liquid has reduced, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the olives, capers, and ½ cup of broth. Cook until the flavors combine, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Once the sauce is thick and flavorful, gently stir in the beans and potatoes (if using). Add more broth if needed to loosen the sauce a bit. Cook until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with parsley.
4. Serve over white rice (if desired).