One thing you guys have heard way too much about on this little blog'o'mine is
Rancho Gordo. I discovered Rancho Gordo beans last summer, and since then I've been totally in love. I've never been remotely interested in dried beans before, but suddenly I'm a freaking fanatic, and that's pretty much all due to how awesome Rancho Gordo's beans are. I know, you all think I'm a big weirdo.
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| Ojo de Tigre Beans |
I'm especially excited because when I recently went onto their website to see if there were any new beans I wanted to try (their stock is always changing due to availability and seasons), I saw that they finally had Ojo de Tigre beans in stock! Ojo de Tigre, or Tiger's Eye, are this beautiful bean to the left. I had heard of them and saw that Rancho Gordo sometimes had them, and was just waiting until they became available. I'm thinking I should make some sort of creepy Eye stew out of my Ojo de Cabra and Ojo de Tigre beans. (Goat's Eye and Tiger's Eye.) Does anybody else think that that would be funny? Or is it just me??
I am also excited about the fact that my recent bean-soup experiment, the
Half-and-Half Bean Soup, came out so well. I used two RG beans for that soup, and I was so excited about it, that I wrote to the RG peeps to ask if there were some place on their website that I could submit a recipe. The lady who wrote back told me that there is no such thing currently, but that it's a good idea. She also told me to go ahead and email the owner, Steve Sando, with the recipe and maybe he'd post it. So I did that, and who knows? Maybe he will.
I am curious if anybody else who reads this blog has ever tried RG beans or if they have tried other similar exciting bean companies... if so, please let me know about them! Or, if you have any great bean ideas, let me know... cuz I have another big pile of RG beans heading my way. And despite their total beauty, I am so gonna eat em all up!
Happy eating!
Laur - The blog looks great!!! I've been so poor lately that I've been eating horribly...a lot of cheap, frozen food and I miss cooking :(
ReplyDeleteMight I recommend dried beans as a way to get more food bang for your food buck? Storebought dried beans aren't as exciting as Rancho Gordo beans but they will go a long way, and I can tell you a million things to do with them!!
ReplyDeletep.s. actually cooking can be way cheaper than buying frozen meals. If you want specifics, let me know, I'll send you an email about it.
ReplyDeleteLooks good, although I'm not a cumin fan... One other note: roughly this recipe with borsotti (cranberry) beans + tagliatelle noodles (cooked separately then added) is pasta e faggiole.
ReplyDeleteOne other comment about economical beans: the "auction" (in Roseville, CA, Denio's) sells them cheapest of all. FYI, the borsotti beans now supplant pintos with Hispanic vendors. You can find pintos, but you have to look. That's how much better these beans are in all recipes.
Price? $.63/lb, not this $5+/lb... at the auctions.
I linked to your blog through the Rancho Gordo email newsletter, where Steve posted your Half and Half soup recipe. It looks great! I had the same experience of falling in love with dried beans all at once. Another great source for them is http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com/index.htm. They have a wide selection and the quality is excellent. I also like http://www.nativeseeds.org/Home, which doesn't have a huge selection of beans to eat but does have a lot that you can grow, as well as other interesting foods to explore. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI came across RG beans a year or two ago and my socks were blown off. I kept telling people about their beans and I know they thought I was off my rocker. Truly, there is a world of difference between their beans and store bought. No one has yet really believed me, but it's nice to find another person "in the know!"
ReplyDeleteAnother Rancho Gordo bean fan here! The difference is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments and info, everyone! I'm glad I'm not the only looney-toon RG fan out there!
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge heirloom bean and Rancho Gordo fan too. I love your idea of goat and tiger eye bean soup. Very cool. I wrote a bit on Heirloom beans on my blog http://thedailyneurotic.com/
ReplyDeleteMy friends think I've gone over the deep end on beans because I think their beautiful. Maybe we're all nuts. But I do look forward to trying your 1/2 and 1/2 recipe and will check into your blog again. Best wishes - freda