Dried Cranberry Beans...now what?

[melly]

I bought a bag at Corti's yesterday. Anyone have a favorite easy recipe using these lovely beans?

[rainey]

Here's my borlotti bean salad recipe:

Borlotti Bean Salad

• 2 cups dried borlotti, cranberry or other beans
• 3/4 cup roasted corn kernals
• 1 bunch green onions (white and green parts)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, minced
• 8-12 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered or cut into 1/8s
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

Soak dried beans overnight. Cover with fresh water 2 inches above beans, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Drain.

Place beans and corn in a large bowl. Mix in onions, garlic, chives, tomatoes and pepper. Make a fine julienne with lemon zest. Add zest and parsley to the bowl.

Stir lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper together to dissolve salt. Pour over beans and veggies and toss. Chill.

Finely diced soft salami might be a good addition.

Here's a pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75667634...

[melly]

Sounds fantastic!! I will try it.

[greygarious]

Cranberry beans are also called Borlotti beans. Here's one recipe: http://barryfarm.com/nutri_info/beans...

I try to eat beans/legumes daily, so last year I bought 6 or 8 varieties of specialty dried beans. Most of the attractive patterned ones cook up into pale, solid colors and personally, I can't taste a substantial difference between most of them, certainly not enough to merit premium pricing/shipping. Pinto, kidney, Anasazi, rattlesnake, Yellow Indian Woman - I wouldn't want to bet on my ability to distinguish them by taste. I haven't yet tried the Christmas Lima beans because they are SO pretty and I'll be sad when I see them in their paler, cooked form. My favorite way to eat generic beans is to cook them, then add them hot to a bowl with thin-sliced salad onion and pour the heated brine from a jar of pickles over them. Serve as a chilled side dish. By the way, Cooks Illustrated tested and approved soaking beans in salted water - but then be sure to strain them and cook in unsalted water. Tried it and much prefer the results to beans soaked/cooked in plain water and salted later.

[melly]

Thank you! RU talking dill pickle brine?

[greygarious]

Whatever pickles you have - here, it's bread&butter.