The Daily Grind, Chop and Fry

This is adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food, page 618.

For months I have been unsure what to do with this recipe. I’ve made it twice now, once in the oven and once in the crock pot. The crock pot has the decided advantage of being a lot more economical to run, and aside from the top not getting sticky and brown, the crock pot version came out better. If you have a wood burning stove like a lot of people up here in the Pacific Northwest, you can make baked beans any day of the week for free, and that’s a whole ‘nother thing. I’d be making them every Sunday.

The main reason why this hasn’t replaced the Cheese Beans in Week Two, which really deserve to go, is they take all day, literally, and they they are best if you don’t even eat them the day you make them. You’ve been smelling them all day and then they are finally done and you can put them on a plate. Lo, they are all watery and too un-sweet in a not good way, and they are just disappointing. Then the next day you reheat them and say “Whoa! Are these the same beans? They are 100% better!” and it is no exaggeration. So how do you put something that takes all day to cook and you can’t eat the day you make it into a meal plan for busy cooks? You can’t.

Yet if you are planning on doing a batch cooking day, where you make a few things to stick in the freezer, these are perfect. Even if made from dried beans they are dead easy and take a maximum of ten minutes to actually prepare. But about 18 hours from start to finish. And the freezer nap will do them a world of good. They are delicious.

Kelp, or kombu, contains a natural acid that tenderizes beans as the seaweed itself softens. I suppose this serves the same purpose as vinegar, but adds a different flavor. It would certainly add more nutrition. Dulse, another sea vegetable, adds a flavor close to bacon according to Bittman, but I just think it adds more depth.

1/4 c. canola oil
2 m. onions
1/4 c. tomato paste
one 5″ piece of Kombu
1 pound dried navy, pea, or other white beans (you can use pinto or black as well)
1/2 c molasses
2 tsp dry mustard
2 – 3 tbsp brown sugar, optional
s & p
1/2 c shredded dried dulse

Soak beans overnight. If you are in a hurry, it goes quicker if you bring them to a boil and turn the pot off immediately and let them sit for about 2 hours, but in my experience they are more likely to split in half if you do this.

In medium pan, sauté onions in oil over medium high heat until soft and golden, 7 – 8 mins. Add the tomato paste and stir until deeply colored, another minute or so. Transfer to dish of crock pot and stir in 6 cups of water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the kombu, dulse, beans, molasses, mustard and a big pinch of salt. Cover and set on low for 8 – 10 hours. Check beans about 1 hour before they ought to be done to make sure the aren’t too dry, add water if necessary. Check seasonings. If you think you’ll really miss having some sugar in your beans, add the brown sugar. I’ve had it both ways, and it depends on my mood, which way I prefer.

When done, serve. (Or – and this is far better – cool the beans down a bit, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, reheat gently. Or freeze them and rejoice later.)