Bang-up 4th of July Baked Beans

My 4th of July Baked Beans   © 2014 Lynn Schweikart

Back in the 60s and 70s, my mother was famous for her baked beans. No cookout or family picnic was complete without them. Her secret? Take a big can of Campbell's baked beans and "doctor" it. Bacon, onion flakes, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, and mustard added an unexpected level of flavor. So did baking them in the oven instead of heating them on the stove. Using her beans as inspiration, I created my own version for our 4th of July cookout.

Dried Marfax beans

However, I didn't start with Campbell's. Baer's Best Beans, a local Maine farmer, grows a fantastic selection of heirloom beans, which are dried and sold at area farmers' markets and some grocers. (You can also order them online.) We had a couple of packages in the pantry, including some Marfax beans, a medium-small bean with an appealing caramel color and a cute little speckle on one side.

According to a post on one of the Chef's Collaborative blogs, Marfax beans "were a favorite among logging camp cooks in Maine, who floated their bean rafts (think food truck on a raft) down Maine's rivers, feeding loggers their four times-daily meals of beans."

The bean of Maine logging camp cooks sounded like just what I was looking for. So I put a package of them into soak overnight. (I was only going to use about 3 cups of the beans for my dish, but it never hurts to have some pre-soaked, pre-cooked beans in hand in the freezer.)

The recipe I planned to use is what I can only describe as James Beard meets Mary Jane, (my mom). In the James Beard recipe I found online, the lightly cooked beans are layered on top of an onion

and some pork ribs, then baked in a sauce made from molasses or brown sugar, and dried mustard. (I had two smoked pork chops, so I used those.)

Like my Mom, I used both brown sugar and molasses, and added her usual ketchup. Then for good measure, I added a touch of Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. (I thought about adding bread crumbs, but that was vetoed by my sister and brother-in-law as too much like cassoulet.)

And you know, it didn't need that. It was perfect just the way it was!

RECIPE
Portsmouth Baked Beans (adapted from ''The James Beard Cookbook,'' by James Beard) 

Ingredients
3 cups of Marfax beans (or navy beans)
1 1/2 scant teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 large onion, peeled, cut in half and studded with a whole clove
6 pork spareribs, 8 baby-back ribs, or two smoked pork chops
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, soak the beans for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain the beans and put them in a large pot. Add the salt and water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just barely tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain well, reserving the cooking liquid.

2. Put the cooking liquid into another pot, adding an equal amount of water. (If the beans liquid is very salty, add more water.) Bring the pot of water to a boil.
3. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the onion halves and meat in a large casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Spread the beans on top. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and add this to the beans and pork. Pour in just enough boiling water to cover the beans, put the lid on and bake, 4 to 5 hours, until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Check the pot every hour or so, and add additional boiling water, if necessary. 

4. Remove the casserole from the oven. Check the seasonings and add salt, if necessary. Pull the meat from the ribs, and mash the onion. Stir the meat back into the beans. 

5. Return the casserole to the oven. Cook, uncovered,  until the sauce has thickened and is nicely caramelized on top, about 40 minutes more. 

Serves 6. 

Winning the Shell Bean Game

My brother-in-law Dave had bought a big pile of fresh cranberry beans at the farmers' market as part of the Saturday night dinner he was planning to make for friends at their cottage in the marshes near Plum Island Sound. However, at the last moment, the trip was postponed, and the beans would be part of our dinner in Portsmouth, instead.

"No problem," I told him, "we'll make Asunta's beans -- a favorite Marcella Hazan recipe that I posted on this blog a couple of years ago. It seemed at fitting tribute, as Hazan had died earlier in the week. There WAS a problem, though. In Hazan's recipe, the beans are gently simmered for an hour and a half, which meant we wouldn't be sitting down to eat until well past 9:30.

"We'll have to have the beans tomorrow night," said Dave. "We'll have to find another recipe," I replied. I was sure that fresh shell beans could be prepared in more like a half an hour.

A quick Google search  proved me correct: in a recipe by chef and cookbook author David Tanis, the shell beans took just 30 minutes. That's because the beans are briefly brought to a boil before being gently simmered, as in the Hazan recipe. For seasonings, I combined the best of both recipes -- using some red onion, garlic, sage, and thyme.  The result was creamy and delicious -- not to mention fast!

Fresh Shell Beans 

Adapted from recipes by David Tanis and Marcella Hazan

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, smashed, then minced

1 small red onion, minced

4 cups of shelled fresh cranberry beans -- about 3 pounds unshelled.

Splash of olive oil

2 bay leaves

A few sage leaves and thyme sprigs

Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Film a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Briefly sauté the onions, taking care not to let them brown. 

2. Add the garlic and heat briefly -- again don't brown. Then add the beans, water to cover by an inch or so, the herbs and a generous pinch of salt.  

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. 

4. Simmer the beans for about 30 minutes until the skins are soft and the beans are tender and creamy. Taste the beans and add salt if necessary. 

5. Cool the beans in the broth. (The beans can be cooked several hours in advance and reheated just before serving.) 

6. To serve, drain the beans, add some freshly ground black pepper and a little dash of olive oil.

Serves four as a side dish

Pea Heaven

I woke up early this morning and turned on the radio. On Being's Krista Tippett was interviewing spoken poetry poet Sarah Kay, who was talking about why she loves the word "flux". It was "fluffy and sharp", she said. Maybe it was the "x" sound, but the word "elixir" popped into my head. Right now, that's the word I'm in love with. See, I'd made Deborah Madison's recipe for pea soup the previous afternoon, as part of my brother-in-law Dave's birthday dinner. Madison calls the recipe "elixir of fresh peas" and trust me, it is the essence of peas--the holy grail for someone like me who's been carrying this idea around in my head for a long time of what pea soup perfection should taste like.  
I'm not exaggerating. 

Of course, this soup has to be made now, while fresh shell peas are in season. (I got mine at the farmers' market in Boston, but they can be found at the Portsmouth market, too.) This is not a recipe that tells you to substitute frozen peas. No. That's because the stock is made with the pea shells! Just that, some scallions or leeks, and parsley stems.  It's not time intensive either. It takes about 20 minutes to simmer the stock and then just another 4 or 5 minutes to make the soup itself. It practically takes longer to shell the peas. 


I followed the recipe pretty closely, though I first sweated the scallions for a couple of minutes before adding water for the stock. I also added some chopped chervil and chives to the finished soup.  Madison suggests adding a few drops of truffle oil to each bowl before serving, but I didn't want anything interfering with the heavenly taste of those peas.

Though of course, the soup can be served hot, I recommend serving it chilled. It stays that beautiful frothy, pale spring green color, even after a couple of hours in the fridge. (If you want it warm, it's best to make it just before serving.) Unlike some soups that lose a little something when served chilled, this one was still full of flavor. One warning: Madison is not kidding when she tells you to be careful when pureeing. Even though I used the towel, as suggested, soup just exploded out of the blender. (Luckily our kitchen walls are green!) I suggest doing it in small batches.  

Elixir of Fresh Peas (adapted from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison)

1 bunch scallions or 2 small leeks, thinly sliced

5 large parsley stems with leaves

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds english peas

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onion or young leek

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Truffle oil, optional

To make the stock, bring 1 quart water to a boil. As it's heating, add the scallions, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add about 3 cups of pea pods as you shell them. Once the water comes to a boil, lower the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, then strain.

Melt the butter in a soup pot and add the sliced onion. Cook over medium heat for about a minute, then add 1/2 cup of the stock so that the onion stews without browning. After 4-5 minutes, add the peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the sugar. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of the stock, bring to a boil, and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the peas are soft and cooked through, larger peas may take a bit longer.

Transfer the soup to a blender. Drape a towel over the lid and give a few short pulses to make sure it won't splatter. Then puree at high speed for 1 minute. Pour into soup bowls, adding a few drops of truffle oil to each, and serve immediately.

4-6 servings.

Salsa Verde: Where've You Been All My Life?

The annual garlic progression has begun at the Farmers' Markets in Boston and Portsmouth, NH. Right now, it's the green garlic stage; soon to be followed by garlic scapes, and finally, garlic bulbs.

Each stage offer its own taste treat, and I'm always looking for new ideas that bring out the unique flavor. So when The New York Times food writer Melissa Clark featured a recipe for salsa verde this week in her column A Good Appetite, I was intrigued. I was also in luck, as my brother-in-law Dave had picked up a couple of bunches of the scallion-looking bulbs Saturday, at the Seacoast Growers market in Portsmouth. 

Clark describes the tastes of green garlic as "grassy and sweet" -- and I have to agree. At this point in the season, it has none of that pungent bitterness that some people complain about in mature garlic. (Garlic at any stage is all right by me.)

While Clark served her salsa verde over grilled pork, we were having sautéed wild caught New England flounder, which I'd purchased at Sanders Fish Market in Portsmouth. I figured the salsa verde would be a nice change from our usual preparation of lemon, parsley, and capers -- after all, two out of three were ingredients in the salsa verde.

Prior to this, I'd always thought of salsa verde  as the green tomatillo sauce you find Mexican cuisine. But there's a salsa verde--commonly made with parsley, mint, capers, and anchovies--that has an Italian heritage. This sauce, comes from that tradition, though since it has neither anchovies or nor capers, it's lighter and brighter in taste, with a beautiful green color. In fact, it was taste revelation -- so good, that Dave took the last bit drizzled on top of left-over rice and greens for lunch the next day, much to my disappointment!

No worries, though, I'm looking forward to making it again with grilled chicken or pork. But I'll have to hurry. Green garlic season doesn't last very long at all.

Salsa Verde al la Melissa Clark

INGREDIENTS
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (I recommend flat Italian parsley)

• 3 tablespoons chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic chives or regular chives
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
• 1/8 teaspoon chile flakes
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATION
1. Combine the herbs, garlic, lemon, 1 teaspoon salt and chile flakes. Stir in 1/2 cup oil. (NOTE: I used only about 1/4 cup of oil, as I wanted my sauce to be more chunky.)

A Souper Easter Celebration: Asparagus Style

Easter dinner can present a challenge for those who preach the benefits of eating local. While all around me, the markets and green grocers are showing off their bountiful displays of artichokes, mushrooms, spring onions, and asparagus, my CSA share is presenting me with more turnips, potatoes, and when I'm lucky, kale and spinach. Good things, yes, but right now I want a big helping of the tastes of the coming season, not more of what I"ve been enjoying all winter.

So, I figure, it's the holiday, why not indulge? And so we did. Big globe artichokes from California were trimmed, blanched, and sauteed in olive oil and garlic! Mushrooms of various types and sizes were sauteed and turned into sauce for veal chops--at least those were locally and humanely-- raised by Tim Rocha of Kellie Brook Farm in Greenland, NH. Heron Pond Farm of Hampton Falls' potatoes were sliced thin and combined with leeks in a cheese-filled potato gratin. But there was still all that asparagus calling my name. My sister Robin suggested an asparagus soup. Perfection!

We had some homemade chicken stock in the freezer and a bottle of  Brookford Farm buttermilk in the fridge, which seemed like it would be a lighter, tangier substitute for cream. All we needed were some of those nice spring onions!                         

To prepare the soup, I reserved the asparagus tips, snapped off the bottoms and cut the remaining stalks into inch-long pieces. The onions were chopped and then sweated in a little butter over low heat for 25 minutes. Next, I poured in the stock and the asparagus stalk pieces and simmered until the vegetables were soft. Then, I put the soup in the blender -- in batches, of course -- and blended until smooth.

When I was ready to serve the soup, I spooned it into a sauce pan, added the buttermilk, and combined. Lastly, I chopped the asparagus tips, sauteed them briefly and sprinkled them on top of each bowl. Finally, I added some fresh-snipped chives from the garden for a delicious start to a spring-inspired meal.

I'm already looking forward to having this soup again when the local asparagus is in. Then, I'll serve it cold -- with a little topping of creme fraiche.

Cream of Asparagus Soup 

Serves 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients
2 c. chopped yellow onions
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1  qt. chicken stock, preferably homemade
1  lbs. asparagus
1/4 to 1/2 c. buttermilk, depending on how thick you want the soup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chives for a garnish

Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a heavy 4-quart pot and simmer the onions over low heat, stir frequently, until very soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

2. Snap off the ends of the asparagus, then trim the tips and reserve. Cut remaining stalks into 1-inch pieces. Add to the chicken stock and onions, and simmer until soft.

3. Blend soup in small batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. (Be careful as this is very hot!)
Soup can be made to this point and refrigerated until ready to serve, later in the day.

4. Pour soup into a large saucepan and add the buttermilk. Stir over low heat until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Chop the asparagus tops into 1/4" pieces. Sauteed briefly until just cooked. Pour soup into serving bowls, top with asparagus tips and chives, and serve.

Flex Your Mussels, Clams, and Other Seafood.

In early November, I had the great fortune to take a trip to Paris. It was all too brief a stay -- just three days and three nights -- but I made the most of it with quiet walks, numerous museums and outdoor markets, and of course, superb meals.

In the process, I rediscovered my love affair with French baguettes and sweet butter; thanks to Beach Pea Bakery and Kate's Homemade Butter, I've been able to enjoy a reasonable facsimile of these right here in Portsmouth. (I'm still yearning for those simple ham and cheese sandwiches one finds in every Paris bakery, though!)

One dinner I particularly enjoyed was at the seafood-only restaurant, Bistrot du Dome Bastille, where I had a lovely stew of fish and shellfish. I was reminded of this just before Christmas when I read David Tanis' recipe for Fishmonger's Stew in one of his City Kitchen columns in the New York Times. Dave, Robin, and I had been thinking about kicking off the New Year's weekend with a bouillabaisse or cioppino. The Tanis recipe seemed simpler; more like the dish that had so delighted me in Paris.

Those of us who live in the Seacoast area are so fortunate to have so many places where we can get the fresh-caught fish a dish like this requires! Saunders Fish Market in Portsmouth had both local flounder and sea scallops -- no monkfish or calamari this week, which was a slight disappointment-- however, it was easy to find the mussels and clams, so we were all set.

This stew has a leek and onion base, with only a few tomatoes to give it some flavor depth and color. We used a good canned fish stock, but you can also use chicken broth or water.  You can also be flexible about what fish you add -- just be sure to put things in to the stock base  in the order that Tanis suggests so the more delicate fish doesn't overcook. If you use sea scallops, as we did, you might cut them in half crosswise so they get done at the same time that everything else does. 

  

 Most important: don't overlook the sauce. It's the source of the bright, rich garlic-lemon-olive oil-saffron taste that gives this stew its distinctive taste -- just like the one I loved in Paris!

Fishmonger’s Stew ala David Tanis
Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 dozen medium-small clams, like littlenecks

1 pound mussels
3/4 pound monkfish or other firm-fleshed white fish, in 1-inch cubes
3/4 pound scrod, flounder, or other soft-fleshed white fish, in 1-inch cubes
3/4 pound squid, in 1/2-inch rings, plus tentacles
1/2 pound bay scallops, optional
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups medium-diced onions
3 cups medium-diced leeks, rinsed of grit
1/2 cup diced canned tomato
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or a few thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Pinch of saffron, about 1/8 teaspoon
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch red pepper flakes
6 cups fish stock, chicken broth, or water
1 pound Yellow Finn or russet potatoes, peeled, in 1/2-inch slices
Garlic-saffron sauce, see recipe.

Instructions
1. Soak the clams in cold water to remove grit and sand, then drain. Rinse and de-beard the mussels. Put the monkfish, scrod, squid and bay scallops (if using) in separate small bowls. Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato, thyme, bay leaf, saffron, garlic, paprika and red pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.

3. Turn the heat to high, add the fish stock, chicken broth or water, and bring to a boil. Taste for salt and adjust to taste. Add the potatoes and reduce the heat so they simmer gently until firm-tender, about 10 minutes. (The stew may be prepared to this point up to 2 hours ahead.)

4. To finish the stew, return the heat to a brisk simmer. Add the clams and cook till they open, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mussels, monkfish and scrod and simmer until the mussels open, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the squid and scallops, if using, and cook 1 minute more. Turn off the heat, stir in the garlic-saffron sauce.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Garlic-Saffron Sauce
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup crustless day-old French bread, in 1/2-inch cubes
2 or 3 garlic cloves
Salt
Pinch of saffron, about 1/8 teaspoon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

Instructions
1. Soak the bread in cold water for 1 minute and squeeze dry. Mash garlic and salt into a paste. Put it in a mortar with the bread and pound together with the saffron, or mix it all in a blender.

2. Gradually whisk in the olive oil to make a thick sauce. Add the lemon juice, parsley and salt. Keep the sauce at room temperature.

Yield: 1/3 cup.