This recipe from Southern Italy is prepared with a combination of dried porcini and fresh oyster or cremini mushrooms. Its earthy aroma and wonderful rich taste captures the essence of wild mushrooms just collected from the forest.  Recipe from Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy by Judith Barrett.  1 ounce dried...

½ of a white onion, minced2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, roughly chopped, with seeds and sauce1 cup chopped tomatoes2 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil6 cups vegetable broth (preferably homemade)1 cup cooked Rancho Gordo Garbanzo beans, drained1 cup peeled, sliced carrots2 small zucchini, slicedAvocado cubes for garnishLime wedges...

Tanya Holland is one of our favorite chefs and we love the fresh tweaks she gives to classic dishes.  1 pound/455 g Rancho Gordo Black-Eyed Peas, picked over2 tablespoons unsalted butter2 medium onions, finely chopped3 large garlic cloves, minced1 large jalapeño chile, seeded and minced2 medium celery ribs, diced1 medium...

1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon minced preserved lemon 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Rancho Gordo Castillo Spanish Pimenton (optional) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 4 cups baby spinach 1 1/2 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo Black Garbanzos or Classic Garbanzos 1/4 of a white...

Our friend Emily Nunn is a People of The Bean. Her clever Department of Salad newsletter is an endless font of salad wisdom. She's written an ebook for Rancho Gordo, and she's a constant inspiration for better and better salads. She is an advocate for this delicious version of Ranch...

Steve made this super simple, flexible salad for an Instagram Live episode and we got some requests for the full recipe. Ta-da! Note that Steve used pre-cooked Spanish chorizo, which is different from the fresh Mexican-style chorizo that needs to be cooked first.  2 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo Garbanzo Beans 1 cup chopped...

Hoppin’ John has a fascinating history, with many regional variations – too many to count. One difference is the variety of field peas used. A lot of Southerners grew up with cowpeas, or “red peas,” in their Hoppin’ John, rather than black-eyed peas. There are also different opinions about bacon versus...

When we think of Black Eyed Peas, we generally think of stews and pork products, so it was fun to experiment with them in a fresh vegetable and herb salad. Black Eyed Peas, especially our new-crop peas, can overcook quickly, so keep an eye on the pot if you are cooking them...

We’ve heard from many customers that their favorite way to enjoy Black Eyed Peas is in “Texas Caviar” or “Cowboy Caviar.” After reading endless recipes calling for canned Black Eyed Peas, canned corn, canned chiles, canned tomatoes, and jarred Italian dressing, we were skeptical about this infamous dish. This version we ended up...

Our original plans to celebrate our 20th anniversary were thwarted by the pandemic. We had planned a major shindig with lots of guests and even a cumbia band, but of course, things just weren't meant to be. Our friends at Valley Bar and Bottle, right on the square in Sonoma,...

I've been following Taffy Elrod on Twitter for a while but I think I noticed her sharp, insightful messages mostly during the pandemic. As we were all trying to figure things out, she was a constant source of sanity. We were excited when Taffy agreed to help us with an...

In the Rancho Gordo library, we have a well-used copy of the book Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy (Rodale, 2014) by Judith Barrett. It includes a handful of recipes that feature cicerchia, Italy's unique, tooth-shaped legume.  Barrett recommends fresh oyster mushrooms as a substitute for the cardoncelli mushrooms that...