A Bowl of Beans and Greens So Good

It’s winter. And cold where I am. These are the days for warming bowls of beans… with a taste-bomb of spring green. Back in the growing days, I tried to “put up” small glass jars of pureed tender greens, kept brilliant by a layer of olive oil. They take up so little space in the freezer for the volume of greens they represent and the whollop of nutrition my body craves. But you can make them any time.

Back when we were all holed up in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, I developed a loose recipe (more philosophy and technique than anything) for “quarantine greens.” Here’s that post for details. And here’s the sum of it: toss a whole mess of clean, tender herbs and greens (such as arugula or “baby greens”) into a food processor or blender along with a splash of olive oil. Bonus plus if you’ve got organic lemon zest. Whir them smooth-ish. Add some salt (not much). Scrape tablespoons into tiny containers, leaving enough space for a generous layer of olive oil and freezer-expansion. Either use immediately or freeze. They last for – seriously – a long time (these date back eighteen months).

As for the beans, today’s lunch were Rebosero beans from the inimitable Rancho Gordo. A product of that company’s cooperation with Indigenous growers in Oaxaca, Mexico, they’re super delectable. But really – any bean with its broth would be good. I scooped a cup from the pot, smashed a few with the back of the scooper and “gave it all a few BTU’s,” as my dad would say, in the microwave.

I topped the beans with hardened bits of a local sourdough past its prime (I keep a jar of those in the freezer, too), added some diced sweet onion, a splash of lemon juice, and more olive oil, and tucked in. It all took about five minutes. And man, was it good.

Plus, just look – good for the earth: no bits of the greens go to waste (yes, use those tender stems); the beans are easy on the land and great for the animal body that’s you; for energy efficiency, I cooked the beans (soaked) in the pressure of an Instant Pot; the bread hunks make use of days-old bits; and no animals were harmed in the process. What’s not to love?