One of many versions of Tuscan beans, comprised of Cannellini beans simmered with Italian sausage (Shadowcase Farm, Giles Co.), roasted tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, sage, and therapeutic amounts of olive oil.

 

Paired with 2007 Barbaresco.

Recipe:

Soak 1 cup Cannellini beans in 5 cups water overnight. Drain and rinse, bring to boil in 5 cups unsalted water, simmer for about an hour until tender. Drain and set aside.

Cook a small amount of pork (Pancetta, Prosciutto, Italian sausage are all good choices) in a large saute pan, remove pork, leave fat. Add olive oil and  saute 1-2 Tbsp minced garlic in 3-4 Tbsp of fat over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Add chopped fresh sage and rosemary and cook for another minute or so. Add 1/2 cup or so chopped roasted tomatoes (roasted red pepper is also delicious), season with salt and pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, being careful that the garlic doesn’t get any color.

Add Cannellini beans and pork, another 3-4 Tbsp olive oil, and season again. Stir to combine, and let simmer for several minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Bon appétit!

Melt 2 tbsp butter in saucepan. stir in 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tsp piment d’espelette (dried Basque chili peppers, available online). Pour mixture over 5-6 cups fresh peanuts and stir well to coat. Roast peanuts in a 350F oven for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Bon appetit!

Wine pairing: a Basque Txakoli would be an excellent compliment to the Piment d’Espelette. An Albarino would be lovely as well. Cheers!

I make some variation of these every holiday season with the peanuts we buy from the Virginia Tech Agronomy Club in November. These fresh peanuts are incomparable.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter with 1-2 Tbsp light olive or other neutral oil over medium heat.

Add 2 tsp of sea salt, 1 heaping tsp of cayenne pepper, and 1 Tbsp of crumbled dried rosemary. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat.

Add 5 cups of raw peanuts, preferably with the skins. Toss to evenly coat the peanuts.

Roast in the 350F oven for 25-30 minutes, watching closely at the end so that they don’t burn!

Let cool at room temperature and enjoy!

Bon appetit!

This recipe is adapted from Marcel Desaulnier’s Salad Days, one of my favorite resources for healthy meals.

Soak 1 cup of black beans in 4 cups cold water for 8 hours or overnight. Rinse well, drain, and place in sauce pan with 4 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, add a large pinch of salt, and reduce heat to simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.

Rinse well under cold running water and drain. Mash with a potato masher or your hands until about 3/4 the beans are mashed.

Mix in a minced shallot or 1/4 cup minced onion, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 minced jalapeno.Season with salt and pepper.

Form the mixture into 4 bean cakes. Coat the cakes in a light dusting of flour.

Pan-fry the cakes over medium heat in vegetable oil for about 4 minutes per side until they are golden.

Place on a baking sheet and into a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes to heat through.

Serve the cakes on salade greens dressed with vinaigrette and chopped tropical fruits – kiwi, mango, papaya, etc., and Greek yogurt or sour cream.

These bean cakes would also be delicious served over rice with sauteed spinach or collards.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: I prefer an earthy red wine with black bean cakes – Spanish (Rioja), Southern French (Maderain, Hermitage), South American (Chilean Cabernet), or South African (they are all funky earthy) wines would all pair nicely. A crisp white Albarino or Sauvignon blanc would compliment the fruit and salade as well. Cheers!

Black-eyed peas are traditionally served on New Year’s Day in the South symbolizing good luck and prosperity for the New Year. I grew up with Hoppin’ John being served on New Year’s, though I was not a fan as a child. Having come to my senses, here is my recipe for this healthy and rich (in both the culinary and cultural senses) dish:

Rinse and pick over 1 cup of dried black-eyed peas. Cover with 5 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and let peas soak for an hour.

Prepare 3 cups of cooked rice: Rinse 1 cup of dry rice, cover with scant 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Cover and reduce heat to low (about 50 minutes for brown rice and 30 minutes for white rice). Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes more. I prefer brown whole grain rice for the flavor, texture, and nutritional benefits.

Sweat the following for 5-10 minutes over medium heat in about 2 Tbsp fat. I use 1 Tbsp bacon grease and 1 Tbsp olive or other vegetable oil:

1 chopped medium onion (about 1 cup)

1/2-1 cup chopped bell pepper – I use a mix of green, yellow, red

1 chopped chile pepper (jalapeno, serrano, cayenne)

1-2 cloves minced garlic

Once the vegetables are soft and shiny, but not browned, add the peas, 2 cups of water, a bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, and a generous dash each of black and cayenne pepper. Add a ham hock or fat back for extra flavor and porcine goodness if you desire.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf (and pork fat if added) and stir in the 3 cups of rice.

Simmer until all liquid is absorbed.

Traditionally Hoppin’ John is served with collards or mustard greens. We will be enjoying ours alongside a ham steak with red-eye glaze and a green salade.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Served on New Year’s Day, Champagne or sparkling wine would be an appropriate and delicious choice. Albarino, Sauvignon blanc, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay, or a dry rose would also be lovely. Cheers!