3934. WHITE BEAN SALAD with CHEDDAR, BACON and WALNUTS

Makes: 10 servings
Serving Size: about 2/3 cup


2 whole heads garlic
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil plus 1/3 cup, divided
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 15-ounce cans navy or great northern beans (see Tip), rinsed
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 medium orange bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove excess papery skin from garlic heads without separating the cloves. Slice the tips off, exposing the cloves. Place the heads on a piece of foil, drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil and wrap into a package. Roast until the garlic is very soft and starting to brown, 55 to 65 minutes. Carefully unwrap and let cool for 10 minutes.

Squeeze the garlic cloves into a food processor or blender. Add the remaining 1/3 cup oil, vinegar, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.

Combine beans, bacon, bell pepper, celery, walnuts and parsley in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Add cheese and gently stir to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.


bacon recipe source: EatingWell, May/June 2015

3633. CASSOULET with SQUASH, BACON, KALE and SAUSAGE

serves 6-8


16 oz dried white beans
1 lbs pork sausage, in links, casing split
1/4 lb slab bacon, roughly chopped
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 small onion, chopped
1 bunch laciato kale, deveined and chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons fresh sage
2 tablespoons rosemary
1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
salt and pepper

To prepare dried beans, rinse and sort, making sure to remove any dried or shriveled beans. In a large pot, fill with beans and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside 1 hour. Drain and reserve for recipe.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a 4 quart dutch oven over medium high heat, warm 1 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is shimmering, cook bacon and sausage until sausage is browned and bacon has crisped, about 5 minutes. Remove from dutch oven and set aside. Add onion, celery, and garlic, cooking until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Deglaze dutch oven with white wine, scraping to remove brown bits. add squash, kale, beans, bacon, and sausage. Pour in chicken stock, add rosemary, herbs de Provence and a generous serving of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, cover and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour has elapsed, remove from oven and check cassoulet. If mixture has a soup-like consistency, remove lid and continue baking for 30 minutes. If cassoulet has reduced, and thickened into a stew consistency, continue baking covered for 30 additional minutes.

Meanwhile, mix breadcrumbs with sage and set aside. After additional 30 minutes, remove from oven and top with 1/2 of breadcrumb mixture. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove dutch oven again and top with remaining bread crumbs. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil on top and broil for 5-7 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.


bacon recipe source: Jillian & Robert, A Better Happier St. Sebastian, October 9, 2014

3613. RAINBOW CHARD with BACON and BEANS

1 bunch rainbow chard (or regular), stems cut into bite size & leaves kept separate and roughly chopped
3 bacon, cut into small strips
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1 small can white beans (navy or other small/medium sized beans), drained
1/2 teaspoon powdered chicken stock (+1/3 cup water) stock 1/3 chicken stock
1/3 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

In a pan over medium heat, add oil and chili pepper flakes, and cook for a minute. Add bacon strips and cook for three minutes. Add the chard stems and cook for five minutes, until they are beginning to soften. Add the chard leaves, broth and beans, and cook for about seven minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: Caroline Phelps (@misspickledplum), Huffington Post/Taste, November 15, 2012

3408. WHITE BEANS with BACON, POACHED EGGS and HARISSA BUTTER

makes two servings


2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 eggs
1 thick-cut bacon strip, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 cup roughly chopped broccoli rabe
Kosher salt
One 14-ounce can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
8 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon harissa
Maldon or other flaked sea salt, for finishing


Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Fill a saucepan two-thirds full with water and add the vinegar. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl, then slide them into the simmering water. Poach until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to the paper-towel-lined plate and set aside.

In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to the paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Add the broccoli rabe and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the color brightens and the rabe softens a little, about 2 minutes. Transfer the rabe to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the reserved bacon, beans and tomatoes to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 2 minutes. (Don’t over-stir the mixture or you’ll crush the beans.)

Meanwhile, in a separate skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the skillet occasionally, until the butter solids are brown and have a toasty aroma, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the harissa until combined.

Divide the bean mixture between two bowls and top with the rabe and the eggs. Drizzle the harissa butter over the eggs. Sprinkle each serving with a bit of flaked sea salt and serve immediately.


bacon recipe source: kvagner (member), epicurious.com, October 28, 2013; adapted from Put an Egg on It: 70 Delicious Dishes That Deserve a Sunny Topping, by Lara Ferroni (Sasquatch Books, 2013)

2914. ITALIAN WHITE BEAN, BACON and TORTELLINI SOUP

serves 4 to 6


1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 slices of bacon, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 9-ounce package cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large, heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, shallots, carrot and garlic. Cook until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and broth. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to the heat to a simmer. Add the tortellini and cook 5 minutes for fresh, 8 minutes for frozen, or until just tender. Season with pepper and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Teri, Make a Whisk, January 25, 2010; adapted from Giada De Laurentiis's Everyday Pasta

2435. BACON and WHITE BEAN STUFFED PATTYPAN SQUASH

makes 2 stuffed squash, or about 4 light servings


2 large pattypan squash (about 2 pounds)
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup cooked white beans
2 cups chopped tomatoes
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
¼ cup red wine
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup milk of choice

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet.

Using a small paring knife, cut the top 1/3 “lid” off each of the squash, cutting deep into the squash to make a deep bowl. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds and compost. Cut or scoop additional flesh from the inside of the squash, deepening the “bowl;” reserve all scooped flesh. Cut all removed squash flesh into small cubes.

Heat bacon in a medium skillet over medium; cook until lightly browned, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add cubed squash; cook until softened, stirring, about 4 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, and seasonings to taste; cook until liquid from tomatoes is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add wine to skillet; heat over high until liquid cooks off, stirring and scraping, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, herbs, and milk. Spoon mixture carefully into hollowed-out squash; place “lid” back on squash.

Place stuffed squash on prepared baking sheet; place in oven and bake until softened and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kimberley Stakal, for Organic Authority

2382. GRILLED ESCAROLE, WHITE BEAN PUREE and BACON OPEN-FACED SANDWICH

FOR THE WHITE BEAN PUREE
1 cup dried beans, such as cannelini, flageolet, Great Northern or French navy
1 2-oz. piece of bacon, preferably applewood-smoked
1 3-inch sprig fresh rosemary
3 fresh sage leaves
1 bay leaf
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise, reserving one half for another use
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE ESCAROLE
1 medium head escarole, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

FOR THE BACON and SANDWICH
2 1/4-inch thick strips bacon, preferably applewood-smoked, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch thick pieces
4 slices white or whole-wheat sourdough bread
1 garlic clove, peeled
approximately 1/4-pound wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano, for shaving over the tops of the sandwiches
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling on the sandwiches

FOR THE WHITE BEAN PUREE: In a medium saucepan, combine the beans, bacon, rosemary, sage leaves, bay leaf, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in about 2 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 2 hours, until the beans are soft and tender. Check frequently, adding water as necessary to keep the beans immersed in water.

Strain the beans, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to the saucepan, and reduce it over high heat until you have about 1 cup of slightly thickened and opaque liquid.

Remove the herbs from the beans and discard. Remove the garlic, squeeze out the soft pulp from the cloves into the beans, and discard the garlic head and peels. Remove the bacon, cut it into small pieces, and set aside.

In a food mill set over a bowl, or a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the beans until they form a coarse puree. Add the bacon back to the beans, and pour in the reduced liquid, remaining balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, stirring to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar, to taste.

FOR THE ESCAROLE: Toss the escarole with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Over a hot grill, char the escarole 7-8 minutes on each side, until tender. Alternatively, to char on the stovetop: Heat a heavy-duty skillet over high heat. Add the escarole, and char on one side for 7-8 minutes. Turn over and char the other side. Remove from the skillet. In either case, discard any pieces that are too blackened. Allow to cool. Cut off the root and discard it, then chop the escarole coarsely into 1-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, remaining oil and salt, and pepper to taste. Add the escarole, and allow it to marinate for at least 15-30 minutes before serving.

FOR THE BACON: In a small skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon until cooked all the way through but not crisp. Drain on a paper towel.

Grill the bread. Rub one side of each slice of bread with the garlic clove, and cut each slice in half on the diagonal. Place the slices on serving plates, garlic side up.

TO ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICHES: Pile an uneven layer of escarole over each half-slice, and scatter the bacon over it. Spoon the bean puree onto the center, leaving a 1-inch border of escarole, and top with 3 or 4 shavings of cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever--from Thursday Nights at Campanile by Nancy Silverton, with Teri Gelber. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003, pages 48-49. Campanile, Los Angeles, California

2317. WHITE BEANS with BACON and ENDIVE

makes 8 (side-dish) servings


8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-pound head curly endive, rinsed, leaves torn coarsely
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), drained well
1/3 cup canned beef broth

Cook bacon in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pot and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add half of endive with water still clinging to leaves. Cover pot and cook until endive is wilted, stirring once, about 4 minutes. Add remaining half of endive and chopped garlic. Cover and cook until endive leaves are wilted but still bright green, stirring once, about 4 minutes. Add cannellini, beef broth, and bacon. Cook bean mixture until heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bon Appétit, April 2001

2156. WHITE BEAN SOUP with BACON, FETA, THYME and LEMON

serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer


3 strips of bacon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 can cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaf
2 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought low-sodium
1/4 cup kalathaki or feta cheese
1/4 cup hilopites, pilaf noodles, or spaghetti broken into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
zest of one lemon

In a small Dutch oven, cook the bacon over low heat, turning occasionally, until it is browned but not burned. Remove from the pot and drain on a plate covered with a paper towel. Set aside. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat and discard. To the bacon fat remaining in the pot, add the olive oil.

Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, until it is very soft and just starting to brown. Add the beans and thyme. Stir once or twice, then add the chicken stock. Raise heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil. Then, reduce heat to simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook for 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot (or remove and process in batches in a stand blender). Return the soup to the heat, and add the feta and noodles. Cook for 5 minutes or until your pasta is done (different pastas will take different amount of time to cook; the hilopites took just 3 minutes.) Crumble the bacon and add it to the soup.

This is not a very thick soup. If you'd like it thicker, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the soup is the thickness you like. If you'd like it thinner, add more chicken stock, or water.

Taste the soup, then season with salt and pepper. You won't need much salt, as both the cheese and bacon are salty, but you'll want plenty of black pepper. Stir in the lemon zest, continue cooking for 1 minute, then serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lydia Walshin, Soup Chick: All Things Soup, Rhode Island, October 14, 2010

1850. PORK CHEEKS with WHITE BEANS and BACON

makes four servings


300 grams white dry beans
4 pork cheeks
100 grams fresh bacon
1 onion
4 ripe tomatoes
2 green peppers
1 garlic head
2 thyme springs
1 bay leaf
1 carrot
1 leek
some parsley
olive oil
salt

The night before, have the beans in cold water (double their height). Have a big casserole with some olive oil in its bottom and fry the bacon and cheeks (salted) until they get golden. Once they are golden take away from the casserole and reserve in a plate. Cut the onion and convert the ripe tomatoes into a sauce (no peels) and start a sofrito. In the same oil you cooked the cheeks and bacon, throw the onion and once it’s transparent add the tomatoes sauce. Have the heat medium/low and keep on stirring until you get the perfect sofrito: Tomato seems to disappear and it gets oily again. Take the cheeks and bacon back to the casserole and stir so that all flavors mix (1 minute). Then add cold mineral water till you cover the cheeks and then add the strained beans, the peppers, carrot, garlic head, leek, thyme and bay leaf (all cleaned). Don’t add salt!!!! The beans could become too hard and not soft at all. We want them to be very soft. It’s no good for the beans to boil, so we we'll keep the casserole hot, nearly boiling for 3 hours, if anytime, you see it boiling, add some cold water to stop the process. When beans are new and not from last years’ maybe they will be cooked in 2 hours, just keep an eye on them.It's always better to use the latest harvest beans. 2 Minutes before turning off the heat, add salt to your taste.
Prepare the dish with the green pepper, beans, cheek without the bone and some sauce.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, Berkeley, California, January 23, 2008 | Nuria, Spanish Recipes, Barcelona, Spain, nuriafarregut@gmail.com

1614. WHITE BEAN and BACON DIP with ROSEMARY PITA CHIPS

yields eight servings; serving size: 3 pita chips and 3 tablespoons dip


Chips:
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 (6-inch) pitas, each cut into 8 wedges
cooking spray

Dip:
2 applewood-smoked bacon slices, chopped (such as Nueske's)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare chips, combine first 4 ingredients. Arrange pita wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly coat pita wedges with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with rosemary mixture. Lightly recoat pita wedges with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden.

To prepare dip, cook bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add garlic to drippings in pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add broth and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.

Combine bean mixture, onions, and remaining ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Spoon mixture into a bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon reserved bacon. Sprinkle dip with remaining bacon just before serving. Serve with pita chips.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Cooking Light, May 2003

1461. ALASKAN HALIBUT TAGINE with ELEPHANT GARLIC CONFIT, WHITE BEANS, STEAMED MUSSELS, RAPINI and SMOKED BACON

serves four


For the elephant garlic confit
3 heads elephant garlic, cloves peeled and separated
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the cloves in a small pot and cover with the olive oil (you may need more oil depending on the size of your pot). Cook slowly on the lowest setting of your stove until the garlic is soft. Set aside to cool.


For the broth
1 cup dried white beans (such as navy or cannelini)
1 each carrot, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
1 each onion, peeled and quartered
1 each garlic clove, peeled
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 each bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 lb slab bacon (preferably skin-on)
6 cups chicken stock

Soak the beans overnight in two quarts of cold water. Discard the water and place the beans in a 4qt sauce pot and cover with the chicken stock. Wrap all of the remaining ingredients in cheesecloth, tie securely with kitchen twine, and throw the bundle in the pot with the beans. Simmer over very low heat until the beans are tender (one to two hours).

Discard the cheesecloth and its contents. Drain the beans and allow to cool. Set aside. Place the bean liquid into a clean saucepan and reduce slowly until you have about two cups. Reserve.


Assembly

4 each Alaskan halibut filet, skin-off 5 oz portions
¼ lb slab bacon, cut into lardons (1/4” x ¼” x 1”)
1 bunch rapini, bottom 2” of stems discarded, washed thoroughly
4 each baby carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” rounds
1 lb mussels, well-scrubbed and beards removed
1 each lemon
1 pinch chile flakes (if desired)

Preheat the oven to 400º. Render bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from fat and drain on a paper towel. Place two cups of the cooked beans in the center of the tagine. Arrange rapini around the beans. Place carrots, mussels, and cooked elephant garlic over the rapini. Season the halibut with salt and pepper, and brush with a little of the reserved bacon fat. Place the halibut in the center of the tagine over the beans. Finally, add the reduced bean cooking liquid. Cover and bake in a 400?oven until the halibut is beginning to flake and the mussels have all opened, about 35 minutes. Just before serving, scatter the bacon over the dish, grate lemon zest over all, sprinkle the chili flakes around and drizzle about three tablespoons of the garlic cooking oil into the broth. Bring to the table covered, and remove the cover tableside so your guests can enjoy the aroma. Serve in large, wide bowls with crusty bread.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Michael Mina, Mina Group, Inc., 335 Powell Street, 13th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102

1419. PENNE with WHITE BEANS, SCAMPI and CRISPY BACON

yields 4-6 servings


1 box penne
1 cup (4 ounces) bacon, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 leaves sage
8 ounces fresh scampi
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 can (19 ounces) cannellini white beans, drained
2 medium tomatoes on the vine, peeled, seeded and diced

Heat bacon in a small skillet until brown and crispy. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sage leaves and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans and tomatoes to skillet. Cook over medium heat until shrimp are cooked through. Discard sage and set skillet aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Add pasta to sauce mixture. Mix well and top with crispy bacon.


courtesy of: Barilla America, Barilla Pasta

1073. BEEF CHIMICHURRI with WHITE BEAN, BACON and ROASTED GARLIC PUREE

serves 4


700 grams beef fillet, cut in 2cm cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the bean, bacon and garlic purée
800 grams tinned white beans, drained
1 whole head garlic, roasted
150 grams sweet cure bacon lardons, blanched
50ml olive oil
sea salt, and white pepper

For the chimichurri:
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
8 garlic clove, finely chopped
100ml olive oil
50ml sherry wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Thread the beef onto the skewers and brush with the olive oil. Puree the white beans and garlic together in a blender until the mixture forms a coarsely textured purée. Place the bacon lardons in a saucepan and push the bean mixture through a sieve into the pan. Add the olive oil and season to taste. Heat gently and keep warm until ready to serve. Purée all the ingredients for the Chimichurri together in a blender. Grill the beef skewers until cooked to your liking, brushing with the chimichurri mixture during the last few minutes of cooking. To serve, spoon a disc of the purée into the centre of each of 4 warmed plates, top with 2 beef skewers and drizzle with a little extra chimichurri.


courtesy of: Paul Bloxham, Good Food Live, UKTV Food

964. WHITE BEAN and BACON SOUP with ESCAROLE

makes about 10 cups; serves 8 to 10


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces applewood-smoked slab bacon, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 medium onions (about 6 ounces each), finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 quarts homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1 pound dried white beans, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
3 large thyme sprigs
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head escarole, cut crosswise into strips

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Add onions and shallot to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute more

Return bacon to pan. Stir in stock, beans, thyme, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover, and cook until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours more.

Stir in escarole. Cook 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.


courtesy of: Community Farms Outreach - Waltham Fields Community Farm, 240 Beaver Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02452, (781) 899-2403

941. WHITE BEAN, BACON and HALIBUT STEW

makes 4 servings


4 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
1 cup sliced shallots
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14 1/2-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon (scant) saffron threads
2 15-ounce cans small white beans, drained
1 1/2 pounds halibut fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

Sauté bacon and shallots in large pot over medium-high heat until bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add olive oil and garlic; stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, clam juice, wine, and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Add beans and fish; bring to simmer. Cover; simmer until fish is just opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper.


courtesy of: Bon Appétit, December 2007

678. SPANISH FABADA

serves 6

2 medium pork chops, with bones
8 strips thick sliced bacon, chopped
1 (10 oz) dried hot chorizo, cut in 1/4"-inch slices
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup white onion, diced
1 cup leeks (white parts only), minced
3 cups (cooked) white beans
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (gluten-free, if desired)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Spanish sweet paprika (optional)

Ingredient Options: For a slightly less piquant stew, use fresh chorizo sausage rather than the dry, cured version, which is heavier on the seasonings.

Cut the pork off the bones, setting aside with bone to flavor the stew. Cut the pork into 1/2-inch bite-sized pieces.

In medium-sized pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until lightly brown, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon pieces and reserve. Add chorizo to the pan and cook in the remaining bacon fat until lightly browned, caramelized and slightly smoking, about 4 minutes. Take chorizo out and reserve. Sprinkle pork chop cubes with salt and pepper to taste. Add to pot and cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly brown, Remove and reserve.

Discard about half of the fat drippings but leave any solids in the pan. Add the olive oil, onions and leeks. Saut� until translucent but not brown, about 6 minutes.

Place half of the white beans in a blender along with 2 cups of the chicken stock and blend until smooth. Add bean puree and the bay leaves to the saut�ed leeks and onions. Add the remaining rinsed beans as well as the bacon, chorizo, diced pork and pork bones. Add one more cup of chicken stock. Cook on medium heat, uncovered, until boiling, about 15 minutes, stirring from the bottom from time to time. Add the paprika if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste - remember the meats are already fairly salty.

Reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for another 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and pork chop bones before serving in deep bowls.

NOTE: For a thicker Fabada, cook for slightly longer. For thinner, add some more chicken stock. Add a drizzle of olive oil over the Fabada in each bowl, if desired.


courtesy of: Whole Foods Market

671. COOKED GOOSE FULL OF BEANS

If you are utterly enraged by some unexpected atrocity that has blighted your day, what you need is someone or something to take it all out on. This cassoulet is just your dish: accompanied by a booming red wine, it will not tire, nor be easily offended, nor argue back.


Soak overnight:

1 1/2 pounds dried white beans.

The next day put them in a large saucepan and add:

1 large onion, studded with cloves
1/2 pound diced salt pork
1 teaspoon peppercorns
Thyme, bay leaf, garlic cloves.

Cover with fresh water and cook gently until they are almost soft (from 2-3 hours).

Meanwhile, remove from 1 roast goose the best cuts, such as drumsticks, thighs, pieces of breast and wing, etc. leave the skin on, and conserve the drippings.

Cook in the drippings:

1 pound lamb, cubed
1 pound bacon

When the beans are ready, place the pieces of goose, lamb, ham, and:

1 pound fresh garlic sausage

in thick slices in alternating layers in a large, deep earthenware casserole. Add enough of the liquid in which the beans have cooked (to which you add half a can of tomato paste) to come halfway up. Cook uncovered in a very slow oven, stirring two or three times, for 2-3 hours, when it is ready to serve.


courtesy of: The Eating-In-Bed Cookbook, by Barbara Ninde Byfield. MacMillan, 1962 / submitted by: David H. King MD and Cynthia Arrieu-King

576. SPECIAL CASSOULET with DUCK, HOT SAUSAGES and BACON

serves 8 to 10


2 lb. (5 1/2 cups) dry white beans (Great Northern)
rind from 1/2 lb. salt pork
1 onion, peeled and stuck with 2 cloves
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
bouquet garni of 1 sprig thyme, 2 bay leaves, parsley stalks and 3 large cloves garlic
1 2 1/2-pound chunk of slab bacon
2 ducks, about 4 1/2 lbs. each
1 1/2 lb. hot Italian or Spanish sausage
1 cup sliced onion
6 cups chicken stock
5 tablespoons tomato paste
3 large cloves garlic, smashed
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Fill a large pot with tepid water, add the beans, set over low heat and bring slowly to a boil. Remove from the head and let the beans soak for about 1 1/2 hours.

Put the pork rind into a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water and cut into pieces about 1 inch square. Wrap in cheesecloth, tie into a bundle and set aside.

When the beans have finished soaking, add the pork rind, the onion stuck with cloves, the carrots and the bouquet garni. Add more water if necessary to cover the beans, bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender but still slightly firm. Remove the scum that will rise to the surface.

Cut 1 1/2 pounds of the bacon into lardons 1 inch by 1/2 inch, cover them with cold water in a pan and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Cut the ducks into serving pieces with poultry shears or a heavy sharp knife. Cut the sausage into 1-inch slices.

Cut the remaining bacon into small pieces and place it with 1 tablespoon of water into a heavy, 6- to 8-quart pot. Set over low heat to render about 4 tablespoons of fat. Discard the bacon and leave the fat in the pot.

Thoroughly dry the duck pieces and add them to the pot with the sausage and prepared lardons, and brown the duck evenly on all sides, about 15 minutes. (If the pot isn't big enough, use a second pot or heavy skillet.) Add the sliced onions. When everything is browned, cover with stock, stir in the tomato paste and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the garlic. Sprinkle with pepper, lower the heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes, or until the duck is tender. If the duck is cooked before the beans, turn off the flame and let it wait, covered.

When the beans are tender, discard the pork rind and the bouquet garni, and add the beans and their cooking juice to the duck. Simmer together until the flavor is nicely blended. With a spoon or bulb baster, remove any fat that has risen to the surface. Remove the beans to a warm serving platter with a slotted spoon, and arrange the meat on top of them. Reduce the cooking liquid to 2 cups and strain. Taste and correct the seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and beans, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

NOTE: The ducks are best cooked a day in advance, so that the fat can be more easily removed, then reheated.


courtesy of: Simone Beck / Christine Muhlke, "An Old Flame," T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Holiday 2006, p. 132

372. CASSOULET with BACON, ANDOUILLE and COUNTRY RIBS

serves 6 to 8


2 cups dried white beans, such as haricots blancs or Great Northerns, soaked overnight in cold water and drained
2 quarts plus 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds meaty country-style pork loin ribs, fat trimmed, meat removed from the bones and cut into 1-inch pieces, rib bones reserved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 pound andouille sausage, thickly sliced crosswise
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely diced
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
6 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 bay leaf

In a large saucepan, cover the beans with the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour. Drain the beans, reserving the stock. Return the stock to the saucepan and boil over high heat until reduced to 4 cups, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet. Working in 2 batches, season the rib meat with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter. Add the bacon to the skillet and cook until the fat is rendered and the meat begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to the platter. Add the andouille to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the platter.

Add the reserved rib bones to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add to the platter.

Add the onion, carrots and garlic to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf and cook, stirring until the tomatoes release their juices, about 3 minutes. Return the rib meat, bacon and andouille to the skillet; stir until heated through.

Preheat the oven to 300°. Scrape the meat and vegetables into a large glass or ceramic baking dish. Nestle in the rib bones and top with the white beans and the reduced stock. Bake the cassoulet for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until bubbling and the beans on top are crisp. Let stand for 15 minutes. Pick out the bay leaf and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The baked cassoulet can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Cover with aluminum foil and bring to room temperature before reheating in a 350° oven for about 40 minutes.


courtesy of: Bob Waggoner, Charleston Grill, Charleston, South Carolina