Navy Bean

After moving to Tennessee, R. B. discovered that his favorite baked bean cooked without molasses was actually white. Simple white beans flavored with salty local country ham are a favorite at Nashville’s famous “meat and three” restaurants and at catfish joints all over Tennessee. A big slice of white onion on the side is a must. The other popular white bean garnish is a spoonful of sweet-savory chow-chow (cabbage relish). Chow-chow is available in the pickle section of Southern supermarkets.

It’s no big deal to make a pot of real “baked” beans, especially if you forget about the baking part and use a slow cooker. The only work is cooking the bacon and onion before dumping everything into the crock. Boston beans have lots in common with barbecue. The vital ingredients—molasses, mustard, onion, and bacon—are the same components that impart the barbecue balance of sweet/sour/savory in sauces. In the slow cooker, the beans finish up just as thick and dark as any from Boston.

When you’re finished slicing and chopping a smoky beef brisket, what’s left on the cutting board are the coveted crusty, juicy bits called the burnt ends. In beans, burnt ends add robust, meaty flavor just like a ham hock, a hunk of salt pork, or bacon. Here the bits of barbecue and meat juices are tossed in with canned white beans that have been doctored up with the regular barbecue sauce ingredients. We add pretty much any cheater BBQ meat scraps to canned pork and beans, too.

I fully admit that this recipe screams “emergency dinner!” But it’s spicy, hearty, high in protein, and best of all, ready for the table in about twenty minutes. Some nights, you need a main dish like that, and this one never disappoints.

Juicy orange sections and mint add a surprising twist to this hearty dish of black and white beans.

Using canned beans instead of dried greatly reduces the cooking time for this New England specialty, but you can use dried beans instead (see page 365 for soaking instructions).

This flavorful potato, bean, and mushroom stew is ready in less than an hour. You can use other beans, such as black-eyed peas, in place of the navy beans; kale or Swiss chard would be nice substitutions for the spinach leaves.

An unexpected and even elegant side dish (I love that it can also be served cold, as a dip). You can make this with leftover cooked beans, canned beans, or frozen beans—in which case it will take 10 minutes—but if you cook dried beans this way, with these seasonings, they’ll be sensational. Other legumes you can prepare this way: chickpeas (allow for longer cooking time), flageolets.

Years ago, Mrs. Herman Talmadge, wife of our state senator, shared with us Georgia ladies the bean soup recipe that was served in the Senate dining room. It is quite wonderful.

A few years ago, at Easter, in addition to the usual spread of ham and sides, I made a gratin of white beans, country ham, and collards from Frank Stitt’s very fine Southern Table cookbook. That dish, which everyone raved about, and the leftover ham bone—a prized ingredient that should never, ever be put to waste—inspired this low-on-the-hog soup.

The creaminess of navy beans makes a great base for spreads and dips, which I’ve supercharged by adding sun-dried tomatoes. Use it as a sandwich spread, or a dollop on veggies.

This garden-fresh medley is a good choice when you want a summery soup that is slightly warm rather than chilled.

This meatless version of a rustic Provençal stew is sensual and satisfying. A fresh, crusty French baguette is perfect for soaking up its delicious broth. A bountiful tossed salad makes it a complete meal.

I always try to make any food taste good by preparing it as simply as possible. This comes from the original idea of how barbecue was started and why it has become so popular: It’s a way to cheaply and efficiently feed a lot of people some tasty food. My beans recipe is no different. I keep it simple and focus on enhancing the flavors that people have come to love and expect in baked beans. I’m not trying to fool anybody here: baked beans are a barbecue staple. And some people just don’t like them at all because they tend to be sweet. In other words, I’m not trying to convert anybody with this recipe; I’m preaching to the converted. This is my take on how classic baked beans always ought to taste. Note that you have to soak your beans overnight to get them tender; some people say you don’t, but I believe it’s the only way to really make sure they’re going to taste right. If time is an issue, you can substitute canned baked beans in this recipe; personally, I think they taste great, too.

This dish has much of the flavor of a cassoulet but is considerably simpler, because it uses ready-cooked duck-leg confit, which is obtainable today in most good markets and can also be ordered online.

When you need a satisfying meal that uses ground beef, try this recipe. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Just brown the beef, heat the sauce, and add the rice. Then ring the dinner bell!

This bubbling stew incorporates the basics of a traditional Italian dish called ribollita, but it takes much less time to prepare. A savory way to use leftover ham, the stew is just right for warming up before the Friday-night football game.

Greeks often serve white beans on days of fasting as a filling alternative to meat. Good alone or served over orzo or brown rice, these beans have even more flavor the second day.

They call it the Tunisian cassoulet.