We have spent extra time this week thinking about our emergency shelf, which led us to think about one of our favorite things to make. It also happens to be suited to shelf-stable foods. A few years ago, I (Kate) discovered that my hero James Beard had a list of emergency shelf items in one of his award-winning cookbooks. Read more here. Beard’s emergency items were fancy: canned oysters, cocktail onions, caviar, liquors. Our list of emergency staples is humble by comparison: white beans, black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils, red lentils, black lentils, rice, wheat, canned tomatoes, and cooking oil. Turns out Beard’s idea of an emergency was unexpected guests for dinner, while ours was more along the lines of worrying that we might get quarantined during the coronavirus outbreak. 

So, turn to James Beard for guidance on how to best present your canned oysters, but if it’s beans you’re looking to eat, we offer you the following gift. I don’t know why these beans taste so good, but my stars, they are good. I know there are ways to make them on the pressure setting of a multi-cooker, but I’ll leave that to you to figure out because I feel strongly that these beans taste best with long, slow cooking. Take five minutes to put them on in the morning, turn them off in the evening, and your soul will thank you. 

BEST BEANS
12-15 servings (freezes beautifully)

• 1 pound dry pinto beans 

• Water

• 1 tablespoon salt (or a bit more)

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

• 1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon coriander (heaping)

• 1 teaspoon cumin (heaping)

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• lemon juice (or vinegar--red wine or apple cider flavor)

Add beans to slow cooker insert, rinse a few times, then fill with water that comes several (5 or 6) inches above the level of the beans. Leave overnight (leave the crockpot off--we’re soaking in it so you won’t have an extra pot to clean).

In the morning, discard the water and add fresh water that comes just an inch or two above the beans--they will have expanded a lot by now. Add the salt, oil, tomatoes, coriander, and cumin. 

Cook all day on low (8 to 10 hours). Add lemon juice or vinegar to taste right before serving. Sam likes to do this with black beans and, as recommended by Emily Clyde-Curtis, who introduced us to the early incarnation of this recipe, uses lime juice instead. 

We like these beans as part of a rice bowl, over tortilla chips for nachos, in burritos, as a side dish, covered with an egg, served simply with rice--however you’d like to enjoy some delicious beans.