Back To Basics

It's just been one of those weeks when I wanted comfort food that was easy to make. Tonight we had beans with cornbread.

After the first five years of our marriage, Spouse Guy finally told me doesn't really care for beans and cornbread as a main dish. So I fried up some ham to go with it. He had ham for his main dish, but it was more of a side dish for me, since I love beans so much.

Growing up, we had beans about once a week or so. Sometimes my mom put ham in them, but as often as not, she made them without meat. She'd add just a little saved bacon fat to add flavor and help reduce the foam that sometimes forms when you cook beans.

Supposedly, eating beans as often as I did growing up is one reason why they don't bother me too much afterward. The more often you eat beans of any kind, it's said, the more easily your body digests them without producing as much gas. Products like Bean-O help a lot, too. Another "remedy" is the herb "epazote", used sometimes in Mexican dishes. I bought some recently, but hadn't tried it yet, so I divide the pot of beans and added the epazote to one portion about 15 minutes before serving. I'd read the flavor is an acquired taste, so I wanted to see if we liked it before I added it to an entire pot of beans.

I'm not sure if you've ever noticed the difference in flavor between refried beans at your favorite Mexican restaurant and those you buy at the store or make at home, but the difference is apparently the epazote. To me, it has a slight dill flavor. I like the flavor, but I guess it's not for everyone.

My favorite bean is the Great Northern White, which I used in this recipe. You can use just about any bean you like, though, especially navy beans or pinto beans. Your cooking time and the flavor of the soup will vary with the bean you use. It's also recommended that beans be soaked overnight. I never noticed much difference in cooking time or flavor when I soaked them, so I gave up soaking a long time ago.



Great Northern Bean Soup

1 lb. dry Great Northern Beans
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon (approximately) bacon fat or olive oil
2 teaspoons (approximately) salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic, if desired
pepper to taste

Sort through beans, removing any shriveled or discolored beans, small stones or pieces of dirt. Rinse well and put in a Dutch oven.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for several hours. The time will depend on the type of bean you are using, how fresh the beans are, etc. Check oven to make sure the beans are covered with at least 1" of water. When beans are tender, taste, then adjust seasonings as desired. Serve with ham, cornbread and fried potatoes.

Makes about 6 servings.