Julia, our manager here at Rancho Gordo, keeps coming up with great family dishes using heirloom beans. I love fancy, fussy multi-step masterpieces but I’m more likely to actually cook dishes like this. They are easy, everyone loves the results and of course the taste is supreme. Our cassoulet beans (grown here in California from French Tarbais seed stock) have been harvested and would be ideal for this dish. I also think I’ll be doing this on Christmas Eve as it’s special enough for the holiday but not so debauched as to compete with the Christmas meal! And it’s easy enough to make and still allow for the chef to sample plenty of eggnog.

Serves 4

• 2 tsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Italian pork or turkey sausages, casings removed
• 1 bunch kale, stems and ribs removed, roughly chopped
• 1 Yukon gold potato, cubed
• Salt and pepper
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups cooked Cassoulet, Ayocote Blanco, Royal Corona or Alubia Blanca beans
• Rustic bread for serving

 

1. In a soup pot, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Add the kale and potato and season with salt and red pepper flakes if you like extra heat. Pour in the broth and 2 cups water. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potato is soft and the kale is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the beans to the pot and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle each bowl with a little olive oil and serve with toasted bread.

Basic Instructions for Cooking Beans in The Rancho Gordo Manner