One of the nicest things about having a store on Main Street in Napa is that we occasionally host fun events with people we admire, so when Timothy Pakron came west to promote his new book, Garden Variety, we hoped he'd stop by, and he did! The store was packed with Mississippi Vegan fans, and it's safe to say we have a Friend of The Bean in Timothy. 

The staff made beans using Timothy's technique, which was unusual and doesn't make sense, but we all agreed these were some of the best beans ever. We love learning new tricks, especially when they break the rules. 

Here is Timothy's basic formula for beans, legumes, and pulses. This is an exclusive recipe from Garden Variety by Timothy Pakron. 

BASE INGREDIENTS

• 12 to 16 ounces (around 450 g) dried beans, legumes, or pulses
• 8 cups (1.9 L) water, plus more for soaking
• 1 large strip kombu (4 inches/about 5 g)
• 3 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (or less, if desired)
• ⅓ cup (66 mL) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

OPTIONAL ADD-INS

• 2 or 3 shallots or 1 large onion, chopped or sliced
• 6 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced or chopped
• 2 or 3 scallions or 1 bunch chives, chopped or sliced
• 1 or 2 celery stalks, chopped or sliced
• 1 or 2 large carrots, chopped or shredded
• 1 juicy, ripe tomato, diced, or 1 large handful cherry tomatoes, diced or halved
• Few pinches dried herbs (such as thyme or oregano)
• Few pinches ground spices (such as cumin or paprika)

OPTIONAL GARNISHES & FINAL COMPONENTS

• Cold-pressed olive oil
• Flaky salt
• Few cracks black pepper
• Lemon wedge
• Chopped fresh herbs (such as dill, parsley, basil, scallions, chives, or thyme)

SERVES: 6 TO 8 

1. SOAK THE BEANS: Sort through the dried beans and give them a rinse. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with a few inches of fresh water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse them well.
2. BOIL THE BEANS: In a medium to large pot, combine the beans, 8 cups (1.9 L) water, kombu, bay leaves, and salt. Mix well, cover with a cracked lid (keeping an eye on the pot to make sure it doesn’t overflow), and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, remove the kombu and bay leaves and scrape off any foam that has risen to the surface. Continue to boil for 5 more minutes, then remove any additional foam. Some beans create more foam than others, so you can continue to remove that if it arises, but a little foam in your final beans is totally okay. While the beans are still at a boil, mix in the olive oil, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, rice vinegar, tamari, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, as well as any optional add-ins you’d like. It’s okay to take your time adding the seasonings and letting the beans continue to boil during this step, as the recipe is very forgiving.
3. SIMMER: Once you’ve added the seasonings and optional add-ins, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let the beans cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour or longer. Most beans will be done after 20 to 40 minutes, but some varieties take longer, so you should taste them every so often to check when they are fully cooked and tender. If the beans take longer than 40 minutes, add a splash of water if needed as the liquid reduces. The goal is to end up with a good amount of broth so you can cover the beans when storing them in the fridge.
4. ENJOY OR STORE: Once the beans are tender, enjoy immediately or let cool and transfer to jars, pouring the broth over the beans to fully submerge them and placing the lid on top. The cooked beans will keep tightly sealed in the fridge for up to 1 week. 
5. SERVE: If serving immediately, transfer to bowls and garnish with desired toppings, such as a drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil, flaky salt, freshly cracked black pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and/or chopped fresh herbs. A hefty sprinkling of the Toasted Breadcrumb-Nut Crunch is also a lovely option. (Note from Rancho Gordo: we drained the beans and tossed them with arugula, lemon, and olive oil. We saved some beans and the broth for a soup!)