Beans!

I've got so many beans that they're coming out of my ears.

I've got garbanzo beans and black beans.  And now they're beautifully packed away in my freezer.  But they didn't come that way....  I got these beans dried at the co-op, which is AMAZING!  When choosing where to start (after giving myself a pep talk that beans are good...beans are good...beans are good), I thought about which beans we would really eat.  That answer was easy.  We enjoy hummus, so check on garbanzo/chick peas.  I also like black beans in chili and stews (just a few...not a million!), so check on black beans.

Feeling empowered, I stood facing the beans. I looked up and down the amazing row that encompassed flours, oats, sugars, beans, pastas, and granola.  I could have stood there all day just drooling onto the floor.  Flattering vision, I know.  Expecting it to be intimidating I was shocked to realize that I was making quick plans to take home as much as I could.  Split peas, mixed beans, quick oats, turbinado sugar, stevia extract, whole wheat pasta....swoon swoon swoon.  Once I got a hold of myself, I merrily scooped up some of the black and garbanzo beans, and a little of the quick oats just because (home-made instant oatmeal?  HECK YES!) and went upon my merry way.

Once home, it dawned on me that I had to cook said beans.  Crud.  So I googled and googled, and then looked on allrecipies (because theirs is my favorite site -has a free app, which is nice).  Everyone was telling me something DIFFERENT!  Oh the distress....  So I asked a girlfriend, who not only told me that I needed to plan something else in my day while re-hydrating the beans, but that they also needed to soak with a BAY LEAF.  Yep -you know what they say about beans?  It helps with that.  ;)

So I started with the garbanzo beans.  12 hours to soak, 3 hours to boil.  They were great.  Nice and easy, didn't make my house stinky, and chopped up really nice into some hummus!  YUM!  But the black beans -not so nice.  They were a tad stinky, and took 7 hours to soak, and 2 hours to boil, and turned my stove top purple (perhaps I was ambitious with the amount of water I added to the pot...boil over!).  Overall, however, I used them in my great cooking adventure (more to come on that), and things worked out beautifully.  The rest, well I filled up mason jars and stuck them in the freezer!  :)

So all in all, my first beans experience was important.  I learned about consistency and texture of what is cooked and what isn't as well as what is re-hydrated and what isn't, what to change and what to keep doing for next time, etc.  I also learned a little about myself in that tasting raw ingredients, formerly deemed frightening, is really important.  It teaches us to identify what we're really cooking with and what we're drawn to, and how we like it!

So far, I'm loving this adventure!  Who knew....

-XO-

B.