Dreamy Black Beans and Rice

Usually in September I'm dreaming up ideas for showcasing the season's most fleeting of pleasures: homegrown tomatoes. Once I've eaten my fill of tomato-and-basil sandwiches and made a few batches of the world's fastest tomato sauce there is still giant bowl of perfectly imperfect tomatoes in my kitchen. Here is a lovely and deliciously plain meal that invites a table full of toppings to garnish it. You can have fun with this, and it's perfect for a large gathering if you simply scale up the recipe.

The beans can be made well ahead of time, then reheated with a little extra water so they don't scorch. Bowls of roughly chopped tomatoes, avocado, finely diced onion, cilantro, cheese and some good hot sauces allow each of your guests to make their own beautiful presentation.

It's also really good with none of these accompaniments, proving that simple is almost always best...

Black Beans and Rice four servings

Seasoning is totally key here, taking something that could be boring to something outstandingly delicious. When starting with dried beans, a full tablespoon of salt is right for me. You might want to start with two teaspoons and season to taste from there.

2 cups dried Black Beans or 2 cans (540 ml) Black Beans
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon ground Coriander Seed
1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika (optional)
1 Bay Leaf
1 tablespoon Salt
1 cup Brown or White Rice, cooked according to directions (don't forget the salt!)

If using dried beans, place them in a large heavy pot with 8 cups water.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about an hour and a half. Check from time to time that there is enough water. If using canned beans, skip this step and place the beans in a large heavy pot- no need to drain.  When the beans are tender, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onions. Stir until golden, then add the garlic, spices and salt. Cook for a minute, then scrape into the pot with the beans. Add 2 cups water, cover and simmer over low heat until beans are falling apart a little, about an hour. Serve with rice and toppings and cold beer.

Garlicky Green Beans

 This time last year: Blackberry Apple Pie

Well here's a deliciously simple way to consume mass amounts of fresh beans. My mom and I have each been cooking a version of this throughout bean season and are addicted.  You should try it!  It's adapted from Mollie Katzen's The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without.  You just trim about a pound of beans and snap them in half.  Have ready about a tablespoon of minced fresh garlic.  Heat your largest pan over high heat for a few minutes, then swirl in a couple teaspoons of vegetable or sesame oil.  Keep the heat high as you pour in the beans.  Stir the beans constantly for about five minutes, adding a sprinkle or two of salt as they cook.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two longer, then remove from the heat.  Serve as an appetizer with a little sweet chili sauce for dipping, as a side dish, or make a meal of it!

Handmade Corn Tortillas

When I was a kid, we Osburns were obsessed with Mexican food. To be accurate, I should say we were obsessed with Tex-Mex food, which is what tacos, nachos, and quesadillas really are. My Dad had his first taste at Taco Bell as a young man and was hooked, then passed along his hankering to the rest of us. Our fridge was filled with hot sauces and spicy pickles, our cupboards with masa harina and cumin and coriander. My mom made giant layered dip platters for parties and special-ordered cases of exotic nacho chips from the health food store (yes, there was a time when they were unavailable). As a child, I bragged about having eaten seven tacos at one sitting! We even imported a tortilla press home from a visit to the States. With this we brought forth hundreds of fresh-cooked tortillas until the sad day when it cracked from overuse. We just could not pat out tortillas like the Mexican women did, so Mom and I figured out a new way. We put each ball of dough between two cutting boards lined with plastic bags on the floor, then stepped on it. This method produced beautiful, uniform rounds, even better than what our old press turned out.

Handmade tortillas are mostly made made from Masa Harina, a special type of corn flour that is treated with lime, or “nixtamalized”. Fresh masa used to be made in every community in Mexico daily, but apparently that has mostly fallen by the wayside and most folks are using Maseca brand, an instant masa that is milled in Texas. I was out shopping the other day and saw that our grocery store had recently stocked it. You just mix it with water, press out tortillas and cook them in a dry cast iron pan. Sean tried them for the first time and was shocked at how good they are, nothing like the dry stale tasting corn tortillas sold next to the wraps. Tucked into a napkin to stay warm, and filled with your favourite taco fixin's, they are heavenly. Serve these with beans and lots of veggies, and taco night is downright healthy. This is good, because Mexican food can really satisfy a junk food craving! They also make great quesadillas and can even be fried for nacho chips or tostadas.

You'll need a press or two decently sturdy cutting boards, ones that you don't think will break if you stand on them. You can use medium or large freezer bags to keep the tortillas from sticking to the board, or cut squares from grocery bags. This is way more fun with a kid or two on hand to squish the tortillas for you-if they don't weigh enough to flatten the tortilla out to 5 or 6 inches, jump up there with them!

Handmade Tortillas for Tacos

The recipe is right off the bag, but try our squishing method!

2 C. Masa Harina

1 ½ C. Water

¼ t. Salt

Have a cloth napkin lined basket or bowl ready. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir until a soft dough forms. Divide into 16 equal sized balls (I ball up the dough and cut it in two, then cut each in half and then in half again). Place a cutting board on the floor, then a piece of plastic. Center a dough ball on the plastic, cover with another piece of plastic, then the second cutting board. Stand on the board sandwich, then take the top board off and peel the tortilla off the plastic. Place in the dry pan and let cook for about a minute. Turn, then cook on the other side. When the tortilla is cooked, place it in the napkin and fold over to keep warm while you cook the remaining tortillas.

Serve the tortillas at the table with Refried Beans, Salsa and grated Cheese, and any or all of the following veggie options: shredded Lettuce, diced Onion, Tomatoes, Peppers and Avocado, sprigs of Cilantro, Corn, fried Mushrooms, Banana Peppers, Olives....

Refried Beans

1 T. Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

1 large clove Garlic, minced

1 T. Chili Powder

2 t. ground Cumin

1 540 ml can Kidney or Black Beans, pureed (not drained)

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and add the onions.  Saute for about five minutes, until softened but not browned, then add the garlic. Cook another minute, and add the chili powder and cumin. When the spices smell fragrant, add the beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture bubbles. Reduce heat to medium and let cook about ten minutes, until beans have thickened. Taste and add a little salt if necessary.

Hodge Podge

My Nova Scotia Garden in June

Do you know what Hodge Podge is? Then chances are, you are from Atlantic Canada. Though I'm not exactly sure where the exact culinary boundaries are, it's safe to say that my friends from Nova Scotia say "yum!" while those from elsewhere say "huh?". Hodge Podge is a wonderful perfectly seasonal mix of new-from-the-garden (or market) vegetables, napped with a creamy sauce. I think the rules are usually potatoes, carrots, peas and beans, although asparagus, spinach, onions and just about any fresh vegetable should be welcome. Last week, my dear friend Alexis killed her chickens and brought me one. I roasted it with fresh herbs, made my first batch of Hodge Podge of the year, and dug in. Bliss!

Hodge Podge serves 4-6
1 lb. New Potatoes, halved if large
1 lb. New Carrots, cut into thick slices
1/2 lb. Sugar Snap Peas, stems removed (or use 1/2 lb shelled peas)
1 lb. Green or Yellow Beans, stems removed and snapped in half
2 T. Butter
2 T. All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 C. Milk
1/2 t. Salt
Pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the potatoes and carrots. After 10 minutes, check the potatoes. When they are almost tender, add the beans. Simmer for another few minutes, then turn off the heat and add the peas. Leave while you make the sauce. Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the butter, and when it has melted, whisk in the flour. When it is smooth, slowly add the milk, whisking all the while. Continue cooking until mixture bubbles and thickens. Season with the salt and add pepper to taste. Drain the cooked vegetables, saving a little water for thinning. Add to the pot containing the sauce and combine thoroughly, adding cooking water if necessary.
Now that you have your basic Hodge Podge (try it like this first if you've never had it before) you can go crazy with variations. Try stirring in a couple tablespoons of pesto, or chopped fresh herbs. Add asparagus with the beans, or chopped spinach with the peas. If you grow garlic and have scapes to use up, chop them and add with the beans.
Best of all, cut a roasted chicken from your neighbour into serving pieces. Load up your plate with Hodge Podge, then top with a piece of chicken and a spoonful of the roasting juices from the pan.