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Cranberry Bean Stew

Prep Time:  15 minutes active / 12 hours inactive

     Cook Time:  1 hour 30 minutes

     Serves:  8

Pig farmers and farm-to-table zero-waste caterers Erin Crooks Lynch and Jeremy Lynch of Enos Farms in Spring Green aim to strengthen the local food economy by cooking meals for others just like this Cranberry Bean Stew. The recipe is flexible enough to incorporate whatever the season dictates and relies upon local food producers.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried cranberry beans
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 garlic cloves, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or olive oil)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup or 3 ounces guanciale (aka jowl bacon), or bacon or pancetta, diced
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 cups (roughly) roasted and chopped tomatoes (or 14.5-16oz canned tomatoes)
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Freshly chopped parsley, optional
  • Freshly grated hard cheese (such as Pecorinoor Parmesan), optional
  • Fresh bread, optional

Directions

  1. Rinse beans, checking for pebbles and debris. Soak beans in cold water for 10-12 hours. After soaking, drain and rinse the beans.
  2. Add the beans to a large pot and cover with 1 inchof cold water. Add the bay leaves, 2 peeled garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, and rosemary or thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a light simmer. Simmer for 45-60 minutes or until tender.
  3. While the beans cook, prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until fragrant, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Mince the remaining 3 cloves of garlic and add them to the pan along with the guanciale. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the guanciale is crisp, about 10 minutes.
  4. After the beans have simmered for about 30 minutes, taste a forkful. They should taste about halfway as tender as you’d prefer them to be. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the pot and stir.
  5. As soon as the garlic starts to brown, add 1 cup of the bean cooking liquid and 1½ cups of almost-cooked cranberry beans to the pan. Smash the beans in the liquid to make a thick base. Add the tomatoes and their liquid and bring to a simmer. Lower heat so a very gentle simmer is maintained. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Once the beans are just tender but not yet mushy, drain off the remaining bean liquid and add the beans to the guanciale mixture. Simmer the soup for an additional 20 minutes. Simmer longer if you need to reduce some of the liquid, or add more liquid (water or stock) if it gets too dry.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and grated cheese. Serve with fresh bread.

Notes