I admit it. I'm a sucker for farmers' markets. There's something about the freshness of locally grown food mixing with the slightly edgy personalities of the farmers that exhilarates me. After almost a two month break, Portland's farmers filled the basement of a local church with their wares, including the most envied tomato, hardy potatoes, revitalizing kombucha, and luscious lamb's wool.
Buying produce from local farmers is especially important to me. Three summers ago my husband -- then boyfriend -- ate a strictly local diet from June through October. Inspired by the book Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100-Mile Diet, we decided to do this to support the local economy, learn about Maine produce (neither of us were raised here), and to make up for the environmental impact of our upcoming trip to Spain. Buying localy decreases the amount of gasoline that would be guzzled by trucks shipping our food from California and beyond. This past summer we also temporarily relocated three hours north of Portland to farm. We got our hands wonderfully dirty, discovered a passionate fervor for kale, and learned a lot of life lessons. When possible, buying localy is pretty super. There's just something so wonderful about knowing who is growing your food, about the freshness of salad greens picked that very morning, and about supporting the farmers directly with your purchase.
As I was meandering around the room with my husband, my mind started to drift, concocting recipes that would utilize these lovely local ingredients. One thing that caught my eye were these beans, of the Jacob's Cattle variety. They were originally cultivated here in Maine by the Passamaquoddy Native Americans, and get their name from their distinctive spots. As a soy-free vegetarian, saying that I love beans is an understatement.
There was a time when dried beans intimidated me. I thought canned beans were easier and more convenient. But do me a favor, and try this:
There was a time when dried beans intimidated me. I thought canned beans were easier and more convenient. But do me a favor, and try this:
- Buy some dried beans, local or not.
- Pull out your slow cooker, no matter how deep in your cabinets you have to go to look for it.
- Before you go to bed, put the beans in the slow cooker, along with plenty of water -- I usually try to have one part beans to four parts water.
- Go to sleep.
- Wake up, stumble into the kitchen, and discover that your beans have grown!
- Strain the water from the beans, and then put them back in the slow cooker, with the same amount of water. Add some salt, place the lid on the pot, and set it for low.
When you come home from work, you will be welcomed with the pleasant aroma of dinner being almost ready for you. Maybe next time you'll want to add rice into the mix (you can soak the rice as well) or some veggies to make a stew. Experimenting with beans, soaking, and slow cookers can be pretty fun -- for the scientist, the chef, and the eater alike. (Note: after soaking beans overnight, you can also cook them on a stove top. I just like using the slow cooker, personally.)
Why soak the beans? Soaking makes beans easier to digest for our bodies -- which means you'll be less gassy after eating them. If you're not using a slow cooker, soaking greatly reduces the amount of time on the stove your beans will need. It's also a great way to thoroughly clean your beans -- washing can't be done by the farmers or producers, otherwise the beans may start to sprout. The reason that sold me over to soaking not only beans but also grains and seeds is that they contain anti-nutrients called phytates and enzyme inhibitors – which make them less nutritious for you. Soaking beans, grains, and seeds is something that many cultures traditionaly practiced to increase their nutrition and decrease the amount of antinutrients.
If you've never soaked beans before and try it after reading this, I'd love to hear about what you made!
