HEIRLOOM BEANS

By CINDA CHAVICH

An heirloom is something saved and passed down, a table, teapot or toy, treasured for its age, beauty and history.

For Napa Valley vegetable grower Steve Sando, discovering a rare and once-cherished type of seed is as exciting as stumbling upon a family treasure in the attic. Sando is a collector of heirloom seeds, and his Rancho Gordo gourmet food company may well be the ultimate source for old-fashioned varieties of dried beans.

It was the discovery of heirloom tomatoes – those delicious, oddly-shaped and multi-colored varieties abandoned by modern agriculture in favor of today’s ubiquitous hybrids – that sent Sando on his quest for old, forgotten vegetable varieties. Like the many types of tomatoes, ancient grains and chilies he grows, Sando says, planting heirloom beans protects genetic diversity and celebrates unique, local foods.

From the mottled Red Nightfall, chestnut-flavored Christmas Lima and sturdy little Yellow Indian Woman beans, to beefy scarlet runner beans, orange-striped Eye of the Tiger and the creamy Vallarta beans that chef Thomas Keller serves at the famed French Laundry, heirloom beans are unique in color, flavor, size and texture.

Sando’s heirloom beans have sparked a culinary revival in this simple staple among chefs and foodies. You’ll find his beans stuffed into fat and tender ravioli, slathered on crostini toasts or pureed with fresh rosemary to serve with local lamb.

Some are Native American varieties, others come from Mexico and points south. Sando finds new heirloom beans to test in field trials every year, and sells 30 varieties by mail order (www.ranchogordo.com), through specialty food stores and at San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza market. You’ll also see his beans on some of America’s best restaurant menus – from Per Se in New York to CityZen in Washington, D.C.

Combined for display at his market stall, Rancho Gordo heirloom beans form a vibrant confetti, a mixture of red, black, white, gold and mottled purple beauties, smooth, shiny and tactile. The difference in varieties is obvious to the eye, but the real surprise in on the tongue.

Sando cooks all beans the same way - starting with a little minced onion and garlic sautéed in olive oil or lard, then simmering the beans slowly in plenty of water (enough to cover the beans by 2 inches) for 2-3 hours (or longer, if necessary), His favorite vessel for cooking beans is a clay Mexican or Columbian bean pot, but any heavy saucepan will do.

Once cooked, these heirloom varieties reveal their many nuances. Most change color as they cook, some remain firm, others turn soft and starchy, forming a rich, creamy “pot licker” sauce as they simmer. Despite similar treatment, each has it’s own distinct flavour, from fresh and “beany” to earthy, meaty and nutty.

Beans are indigenous to the Americans but these portable packs of protein have been transported to every corner of the world, as common to a Chinese hot pot as Italian minestrone. High in protein, fibre and complex carbohydrates, beans are also low in fat and may protect against some forms of cancer.

While dried beans have an indefinite shelf life, Sando says they should be consumed within seven years. And if cooked within six months of harvest, he says the fresh flavor and texture is “surreal”, like no dried bean you’ve tasted.

There certainly is a new world of possibilities to discover when you begin cooking with heirloom beans. Heirloom vegetables and fruits may not offer the high, consistent yields of commercial varieties, but they have the kind of eclectic characters and provenance that make them true treasures.

TYPES OF HEIRLOOM BEANS:

EYE OF THE GOAT: Pale buff with a swirling black “eye”, this firm, meaty bean turns brown and forms its own rich “pot licker” broth when cooked.

Start with sautéed onion and garlic and simmer in water to cover for two hours.

VALLARTA: Dense and creamy, this small, white bean is a favourite of Napa chefs.

Start with a simple mirepoix, boil and serve whole as a salad bean. Or combine cooked Vallartas with sautéed greens to use as a side dish for fish or stuffing for pasta.

TEPARY: An indigenous bean developed by Native Americans to be drought tolerant – tiny tepary beans may be brown or white. They’re higher in protein and fibre than most beans, chewy, even fudgy, in consistency and slightly sweet.

Cook them with onion and garlic and try in salads with roasted chilies.

RIO ZAPÉ: This Hopi bean from Arizona is deep purple, with wisps of black, and a rich, juicy flavor, reminiscent of dark chocolate.

Cook Rio Zapé beans simply, with onion and garlic, then serve with flank steak rubbed with ancho chilies and garlic.

FLAGEOLET: This is the small, mint green bean used to make French cassoulet – soft, creamy and mild, and a bean that holds its shape perfectly.

Cook with a mirepoix in water, then flavor with fresh herbs. Use in salads, with lamb in stew and alongside fish.

EYE OF THE TIGER: Deep orange with brown “tiger” strips, this bean is truly beautiful.

This pinot-like bean is “killer for refried beans”, says Sando, but simply cooked with mirepoix and water it breaks down into a thick, saucy pot of beans. Perfect for soup.

YELLOW INDIAN WOMAN: A deep golden bean developed by Native people in Montana, it’s dense and holds its shape well.

Cook this small, creamy bean simply with mirepoix and water, then use in salads, chili, stews or purees.

©Cinda Chavich

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