Beans With Tomatoes in Winter Herbs By Mark Graham

This recipe uses flavors from my childhood (my mom was a great cook).  Italian American inspired, and rich with tomatoes and hearty herbs – perfect for a cold winter evening served over a bowl of cheesy, hot, polenta, or can be served chilled tossed into shredded lettuces dressed in a Dijon vinaigrette.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound navy beans, rinsed and picked through*
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 large sprigs of each, fresh oregano, fresh parsley, fresh sage, fresh thyme (or any combination of hearty herbs)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Garnish:
  • ½ bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Method:

  1. Stir together the beans, water, salt, baking soda, and bay leaves in the bottom of a 4-quart pressure cooker. Place a metal trivet atop the beans.

  2. Toss together the onion, garlic, herbs, lemon zest, orange zest, wine, tomatoes, and olive oil in a small oven-proof bowl. Place this bowl on the trivet and close the pressure cooker.

  3. Cook over high heat until high pressure is reached, and the steam is escaping in short bursts that are about 10-seconds apart, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, allowing steam to escape in short bursts that are about 10-20 seconds apart, until the beans are tender, about 50 minutes.

  4. Release pressure following your manufacturer’s directions for “fast release” (my pressure cooker’s instructions are to carefully place the pressure cooker in the sink and allow cold water to run across the pot until the pressure eases – takes a few seconds).

  5. Check that the beans are tender; if not, return to pressure and cook another 5 minutes, releasing pressure as indicated above. Carefully remove the oven-proof bowl, remove and discard the herb stems, and transfer contents to a blender.

  6. Add the remaining teaspoon of salt, and carefully blend the hot liquid until smooth on very low speed. Drain the beans of half their cooking liquid, remove the bay leaves, and stir in the puree. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with freshly chopped parsley.

    *I always rinse my beans before cooking and pick through them to remove any stones or beans that are broken.

See who’s putting #beansonthemenu