For The Union-Tribune
Here’s one thing you won’t find in Steve Sando’s pantry: canned beans. Sando, the founder of Rancho Gordo, a renowned purveyor of heirloom beans that are sold in some stores but also online, has no use for them.
“I’m going to sound like a snob, but no,” he said. “The thing is, you have to rinse them because they’re cooked in the can and I’m not saying it’s dangerous, but I don’t know. I think it’s yucky. And most instructions for cooking canned beans have you rinse the muck off because it’s not pleasurable. But when you cook beans, it’s free soup. It’s a completely different animal.”
Sando, along with Rancho Gordo’s general manager Julia Newberry, recently published their new cookbook, “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds ofBeans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen.” It’s Sando’s seventh book, what he describes as being a bean bible kind of book. At first he was figuring that it would be a sort of greatest hits, but then he realized it was actually a book that took 25 years to write, redoing old favorites and bringing in new recipes. He says the recipes are partly his, partly Newberry’s, and the rest are guest recipes.
After years of selling his beans at farmers markets and then at shops, Sando recognizes home cooks’ resistance to cooking beans from scratch.
“I think they look at them and see little rocks,” he said. “If you’re not an experienced home cook, I think you sometimes think, well, there’s no way I’m going to turn that into something creamy and delicious. They’re very intimidating. And also it’s an investment in time. You think it takes forever. You think it’s fussy. And there are a lot of rules, it seems.
“Of course, once you do it, you realize it’s stupid time,” he added. “You could be doing a million other things as you’re doing it. The rules actually aren’t so exact. So everyone should do it. The benefits are just so superior to a canned bean.”
Making beans from scratch means you can control the flavor and texture. You can use the bean water for broth, for making rice — or even an aperitif. Sando actually offers dinner guests a shot glass filed with bean broth, topped with chopped red onion, a pinch of oregano, and dash of fresh lime or lemon juice.
I have to say, after preparing black garbanzo beans for the book’s Black Garbanzo Hummus, I was ready to hold on to some of the beans and their broth to enjoy as soup — the broth was so sumptuous from the garlic, celery, carrot and onion that I had sauteed to cook the beans in.
“The Bean Book” has a thorough section on how to make a basic pot of beans — a useful reference, since the book’s recipes start with prepared beans. His scratch recipe is very simple but worth reading.
Essentially, start with good quality beans that have been harvested within the past two years, check for small stones and other debris, and rinse well. In a pot with plenty of headroom, saute aromatics — diced onion and minced garlic, and diced carrots and celery if you like — in olive oil until soft, then add the beans, maybe a bay leaf, and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook until they’re just soft, adding more boiling water if needed. Then add salt and finish simmering until done — meaning you can go do something else around the house.
“The Bean Book” also details other bean cooking methods: in a pressure cooker, cooking in clay, slow cooking, and oven cooking.
No matter the bean or method, you’ll find at the end that you have a delicious bowl of bean soup. Depending on the dish you’re preparing, you can drain the liquid (and use it some other way) and your beans are now ready for anything from a dip to a salad, for patties or even pie. Or keep the liquid and add more ingredients for soup or stew.
Not sure what types of beans you want? “The Bean Book” has a helpful illustrated section on 50 heirloom varieties, their origins, their flavor profiles, and how to use them, including which to use for recipes in the book.
For instance, my favorite bean — the petite Alubia Blanca, virtually international — is creamy with a thin skin, perfect for the book’s Alubia Blancas With Clams and Spanish Chorizo. I keep it simple. They’re my go-to, prepared as discussed above, but with the addition of sliced fennel, and added to soups, enjoyed as a base for stewed chicken, or tossed with roasted shrimp. How about the red Domingo Rojo? Or a minty green Flageolet, purple and cream Good Mother Stallard or beautifully deep dark Santanero Negro Delgado beans from Oaxaca?
We’ve got three recipes from “The Bean Book” that are a good mix of the types of bean-focused dishes you can prepare — and do so easily.
The first is that hummus dish I mentioned, Valley Bar and Bottle’s Black Garbanzo Hummus. Chef Julia Newberry surprised Sando with the recipe. Surprised because black garbanzos are heavier and denser than traditional garbanzos, and the color, Sando thought, would be too odd. But it’s been a hit. Sando is not a bean soaker, but because of that heaviness and density, Newberry insists that the beans be soaked at least six hours. And, unlike traditional hummus, you use garlic confit instead of raw garlic, making it a gentler version. Sando recommends doubling the garlic confit recipe so you can use the rest for other dishes. Also, garnish the dip with black sesame seeds or nigella seeds and perhaps some parsley.
While it is spring, there’s still a bit of a chill in the evening. So, try the Polenta With Borlotti Beans and Tomato Sauce. While you should aim for using Borlotti Lamon beans, you can also use Cranberry beans. You’ll make a quick tomato sauce, then add the cooked beans. While they’re cooking, make the polenta according to package instructions. There’s an option to include diced, browned pancetta as well. To serve, spoon the polenta into a bowl, then ladle the bean tomato sauce over the polenta, and top with pancetta, fresh basil and grated Parmesan.
Finally, in celebration of spring, is a rich Raw Asparagus and Runner Bean Salad inspired by Joshua McFadden’s salad in his “Six Seasons” cookbook. Here, first-of-the-season asparagus is paired with runner beans.
“These are bean plants that shoot off runners and need to be on a trellis. It’s the oldest cultivated vegetable in the Americas and they tend to be big and meaty,” explained Sando. “But if you keep pushing them [while cooking] they get incredibly creamy and also have kind of a beefy bean broth. It’s a great gateway bean for people who are trying to cut back on meat.”
These are beans like Ayocote Morado, Ayocote Negro, and Scarlet Runner. Cook and drain them. Toast breadcrumbs and walnuts. Slice the asparagus very thin, like ribbons. You’ll combine the bread crumbs and walnuts with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, lemon zest, mint, and salt and pepper in your serving bowl. In another bowl combine the asparagus with the beans, lemon juice and olive oil. Just before serving, add the asparagus-bean mixture to the serving bowl and toss well, adding more lemon juice, olive oil or salt to your taste.
One trick Sando mentioned with either refrigerated leftover beans or beans cooked up in advance for a dish is to bring them to room temperature and then strain them. You’ll find less liquid clings to them. You don’t want a salad or other dishes to be too wet with bean broth. Also, that beans in their broth freeze well.
Raw Asparagus and Runner Bean Salad
Makes 2 to 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs, such as panko
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, preferably black walnuts
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 1/2 cups cooked, drained runner beans, such as Rancho Gordo Ayocote Morado, Ayocote Negro, or Scarlet Runner
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
DIRECTIONS
1: Preheat an oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees.
2: Place the breadcrumbs and walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them until the bread crumbs are golden and the walnuts are fragrant, about 10 minutes, checking them occasionally to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3: In a large serving bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, walnuts, cheese, lemon zest, mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
4: Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the asparagus on a sharp angle into very thin slices. In another bowl, combine the asparagus with the beans, lemon juice, and olive oil. Just before serving, add the asparagus-bean mixture to the serving bowl and toss well. Check for seasoning, adding more olive oil, lemon juice, or salt as needed.
Polenta With Borlotti Beans and Tomato Sauce
Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, juice reserved
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
4 fresh sage leaves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo Borlotti Lamon or Cranberry beans
2 cups uncooked polenta
6 ounces pancetta, diced (optional)
Chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
DIRECTIONS
1: In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and red wine vinegar. In a small bowl, dissolve the tomato paste in the broth and add to the pan. Stir in the sage and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
2: Add the beans to the tomato sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 15 minutes.
3: Meanwhile, cook the polenta (see page 266, or according to package instructions).
4: If using pancetta: Place the pancetta in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper towel to drain.
5: To serve, spoon the polenta into serving dishes. Ladle the beans over the polenta and top with the pancetta (if using). Garnish with fresh basil and serve with grated Parmesan.
Valley Bar and Bottle’s Black Garbanzo Hummus
Makes about 3 cups
INGREDIENTS
4 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo black garbanzo beans or classic garbanzo beans, plus 1 cup bean broth reserved (see Note)
1/4 cup good-quality tahini
1 tablespoon Garlic Confit, or more to taste (recipe follows)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Ice water for thinning
Toasted black sesame seeds or nigella seeds for garnish
Sliced raw vegetables, crackers, or pita bread for serving
For the Garlic Confit:
Makes 1/2 cup
INGREDIENTS
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
1/2 cup neutral oil, such as rice bran
DIRECTIONS
1: Make garlic confit. In a small pot, cover the garlic with the oil.
2: Bring to a low boil on the stove, then decrease the heat to very low to maintain a bare simmer. Let the garlic cook low and slow until soft, at least 1 hour. Let cool.
3: Transfer the garlic and cooking oil to a glass jar with a lid, making sure the cloves are submerged in the oil, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
4: Make the hummus: In a blender or food processor, combine the garbanzos with about ½ cup of bean broth (plus more if needed), the tahini, at least 1 tablespoon of the garlic confit and its oil, a glug of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and the lemon juice. Blend. Add a little bit of ice water to help smooth the hummus to a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
5: To plate, spoon the hummus into a bowl or dish, then turn the spoon up, using the backside to create a channel in the hummus. Pour olive oil into this impression, and sprinkle sesame seeds to garnish. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or pita bread.
Note from Chef Emma Lipp: This is more of a method than a recipe, and it can be batched accordingly in size and in personal variations. A strong blender, such as a Vitamix, is recommended, but a food processor can work as well. Be sure to soak the garbanzos for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Do not skip this step.
Recipes and photos 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 (2024, Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC).
