rancho gordo

hope everyone is feeling rested and relaxed after the holiday weekend. we enjoyed the sun and warm weather finally here in nyc with friends, a night at citi field and a few glasses of rose here.

check out this post on the den about our work with gilt taste. now that summer is here, so are all the great outdoor fleas and food markets like smorgasburg, which we checked out last saturday. also excited to check out the latest east coast outpost of blue bottle coffee - how's that view?!

we've shared our love of Rancho Gordo products on the blog before here but realized it's been way too long since we've cooked with any of their amazing beans! we recently picked up a bag of christmas lima beans which are big and beautiful with their maroon stripping and deep chestnut flavor. this salad is adapted from Heirloom Beans, a great reference for how to cook all things rancho gordo by the company's founder. this hearty healthy salad is great for summer gatherings as a whole meal or a perfect side dish.

Christmas Lima Bean Salad

(adapted from Heirloom Beans)

serves 4 to 6

5 small beets

1/2 cup quinoa

3 cups cooked christmas lima beans

4 green onions, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup yellow pear tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

1/3 cup olive oil

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. wash and scrub beets. wrap in foil and wrap until tender when poked with a fork, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. when cool, peel and cut into bite size wedges. in a medium saucepan bring quinoa and water to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until fluffy but still a little tender. drain well and rinse under cool water.

combine beets, quinoa, beans, green onion, avocado and tomatoes.

in a small bowl combine lemon juice, vinegar and honey. while stirring, slowly drizzle in olive oil and whisk to combine. pour over salad and toss to combine. season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with crumbled feta before serving. serve at room temperature & enjoy!

stew & snow

from warm and sunny friday to snow and sleet today, east coast weather is so confusing! it's a good day to stay inside, read a book with a cup of tea and make a pot of this hearty warming fish stew. it's light and healthy while still being satisfying. and it's versatile - throw in whatever combinations of vegetables, beans, grains and fish you have on hand.

check out this article i worked on for the nest with a few other members of the big leo family. did you see the beet detox spread our friend jen, shot for the new issue of rue - it's beautiful! ready for a fun weekend in boston to celebrate a great friend's birthday - including a wine tasting event here.

Cod & White Bean Stew

serves 2

1 tbs olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced and cleaned well

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

2 cups chicken stock

1 small bunch thyme

8 oz cod, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 tbs chopped parsley

salt & pepper

heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. add leeks saute for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. add celery and garlic and saute a few minutes more. add tomatoes, beans, stock and thyme and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and warmed. add cod and simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until white and flaky. remove from heat, stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. enjoy!

cuban black beans

we had a fun weekend celebrating with fellow photographers & stylists at the big leo bbq on saturday - got to chat with some amazing artists like jim bastardo and bjorn wallander while eating great food, enjoying delicious cocktails and a even whole pig roasted by photographer hector sanchez. we contributed our gin & ginger cocktail as well as these amazing cuban black beans. julia diaz is a family friend who graciously passed on this recipe and has convinced me that dried beans really are better than the ones we get from a can. don't get me wrong, i still use canned beans in recipes, but for this one it is absolutely worth the effort to soak dried beans over night. these perfect with some fresh tortillas and a little queso fresco or scrambled eggs and sliced avocado - a delicious addition to any meal!

Julia's Black Beans

1 lb dried black beans

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into quarters

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cumin

2 bay leaves

4 tbs red wine vinegar

salt & pepper

in a large pot, soak beans overnight with quartered green bell pepper. transfer beans to the stove in the soaking water and simmer for 45 minutes. heat olive oil in a saute pan and cook garlic, onion and bell pepper until softened, about 8 minutes. add 1 cup drained beans and mash together. add to pot with oregano, cumin and bay leaves and simmer about 1 hour or until beans are tender. add vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

side salad

we had a fun week/weekend entertaining the in-laws and are still recovering from all the food and wine we managed to consume in a short amount of time. despite the snowy weather we had some great dinners here and here. we decided to cook at home one cozy night and this side dish was the perfect addition to grilled lamb chops, garlic bread, spinach salad and roasted asparagus. it's a very easy bean salad from this awesome cookbook. hope you enjoy it as much as we did! off to see if this has opened yet and very excited for this show tonight!

White Bean Salad

serves 6-8

1 tbs minced shallot

1 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup olive oil

3 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped dill, mint or basil

3 green onions, chopped

combine shallot, mustard, salt, pepper, worcestershire, vinegar, lemon juice and oil in a small bowl and whisk to combine. in a large bowl, toss beans, onion, herbs and green onion with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste. serve immediately or refrigerate.

quick & easy

everyone needs a few simple but beautiful go-to appetizers to throw together at the last minute. or a little something to nibble on with a nice glass of sauvignon blanc when 5 o'clock rolls around. these are two snacks we've been making lately. the white bean dip is a nice change from hummus, which we love but eat way too often. it's always a good idea to have a few cans of cannellini or garbanzo beans in the pantry for just such an occasion! mixed olives are so easy and available everywhere and this is a nice way to make them a little more unique. enjoy!

Marinated Olives

10 oz mixed olives in brine

4 kumquats or 1 small tangerine, sliced

4 sprigs rosemary

1/2 cup olive oil

drain olives reserving a few tablespoons of brine. in a small bowl, mix olives with sliced kumquats, rosemary and olive oil. refrigerate for 2-6 hours and bring to room temperature before serving.

White Bean Dip

15 oz cannellini (white kidney beans), drained

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

2 green onions, chopped

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

2 tbs white balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

in a food processor, combine beans, garlic, lemon juice, green onions, parsley and vinegar and pulse to chop. with processor running, slowly add olive oil and puree until smooth and creamy. adjust seasoning with salt & pepper to taste. serve with assorted vegetables and crackers for dipping!

breakfast of champions

did anyone happen to read this article on sunday? it reminded me that i still had half a bag of anasazi beans in the cupboard leftover from this recipe. chilaquiles is basically soggy tortilla chips - so the first time a friend said we absolutely had to have them at la super rica, julia child's favorite taqueria, we didn't jump at the offer. but after the first spicy, soggy, crispy, sweet mouthful, we were hooked. there are loads of recipes out there and they all add a little something different - eggs, beans, shredded chicken, salsa verde, etc. here's the recipe we made for breakfast this morning and can't stop talking about!

Breakfast Chilaquiles

serves 2

1/3 cup olive oil

5 corn tortillas, each cut into 8 triangles

1 cup homemade or store bought salsa (more liquid, less chunks works best)

3/4 cup drained, cooked beans such as anasazi

2 green onions, chopped

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

avocado, sour cream & fresh cilantro for garnish

in a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. fry the tortillas, turning constantly with tongs, until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. carefully add salsa - it will splatter and bubble. cook for 2 minutes, turning constantly, until tortillas soak up most of the salsa. add beans, stir to combine and keep warm on low heat. in a small skillet, cook green onion over medium high heat for 1 minute until wilted. add eggs and scramble, stirring constantly. stir in cheese about 30 seconds before eggs are finished cooking. to serve, divide tortilla bean mixture between two plates. top with scrambled eggs and garnish with diced avocado, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro. enjoy! 

mom's famous (well sort of...)

i know we've already given you multiple meals in a bowl but i couldn't resist sharing another one. drum roll please - this is my mom's famous chili recipe. i guess it's really only famous in our family but it should be famous because it's that good! it's always better the next day if you can stand not eating the whole pot the night you make it and i never really measure the spices exactly so it tastes a little different each time. the recipe is slightly different from my mom's original and it changes depending on who i'm making it for - some people like more meat, some people like more beans, some people like ground turkey, some people like corn, etc. but whatever you add or take away, it always tastes fantastic. thanks mom!

Mom's Famous Chili

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

15 oz can chopped tomatoes

15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed

15 oz can black beans, rinsed

15 oz can corn, rinsed, or 2 cups frozen (optional)

2 tbs tomato paste

1 bay leaf

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tbs worcestershire sauce

1 beef bouillon cube

3 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs cocoa powder

1-3 tsp hot sauce (tabasco or tapatio)

In a large pot, cook beef until browned. Add onion and pepper and saute until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 1 hour. Serve with optional sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.

rancho gordo

several months ago a friend told me about these great heirloom beans out of napa and then i started reading about them everywhere and knew i had to get some. on our recent road trip, i found anasazi beans and posole at the fatted calf and then bought this at a local bookstore. i usually buy beans in a can and can't be bothered with soaking anything overnight but i must admit i am now a believer. there are many other great types of beans and recipes that i'm excited to explore but here is my first attempt with rancho gordo.

Chicken & Posole Verde

1 cup dried anasazi beans (somewhere between a pinto and kidney bean)

1 cup dried posole

1 bulb garlic, cut in half, not peeled

2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped

10 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered

2 pasilla chilies, seeded and roughly chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups chicken stock

1 tbs white wine vinegar

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp ground cumin

1-2 tsp cholula or mexican hot sauce

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

for garnish: cilantro, sour cream, avocado, green cabbage

soak beans and posole 4 hours or overnight and drain. in separate pots, cover beans and posole with water and add 1/2 garlic bulb and 1/2 onion to each. cook until tender, drain and set aside.

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. on a sheet pan, combine tomatillos, one onion, chilies, garlic and olive oil and toss to coat. roast until softened and a little charred, about 40 minutes. cool completely. in a blender or food processor, puree roasted vegetables until smooth.

in a large pot, combine pureed tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, vinegar, lime juice, cumin and cholula. add chicken, cooked beans and posole. bring to a simmer and cook until chicken is done. stir in cilantro and serve with optional garnishes of more cilantro, sour cream, diced avocado and shredded cabbage. enjoy!