Dried beans

Dried beans are an essential staple in Southern Appalachian cooking. Some of my elder Tennessee relatives remember having soup beans for supper every day growing up. I felt silly asking them what soup beans were, since I figured the name tells you all you need to know, but I wanted details. Essentially they are dried beans that have been cooked in water until tender, with a little bacon grease or ham hock added for flavor. You serve them with their juices and eat it either as soup or served over cornbread with however much of the liquid you desire.

I've always loved beans, but never cooked dried beans, or even thought of them as a staple until now. With a little advance planning, any bean dish can be made with dried beans instead of canned, and the difference in taste is worth the extra effort.

Buying dried beans
I recommend going to a grocery store that sells bulk foods by weight, not only because they usually have a better variety of dried beans than what you find pre-packaged on the shelves, but also because the beans are likely fresher. If you're used to cooking with canned beans, remember that dried beans enlarge when they cook. Depending on the kind of bean, it may double in size when cooked.

Cooking dried beans
If you have no time constraints, begin preparing your beans the night  before you want to serve them. Rinse your beans thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt or grit, and pick out any beans that look discolored or shriveled. Transfer beans to a bowl and cover in 2 inches of fresh water. Let beans soak in the refrigerator overnight until you're ready to cook them the next day. If time is of the essence, then you can expediate the soaking process by using hot water and letting them sit covered at room temperature for at least an hour.

Before cooking your beans, discard the liquid they soaked in. Add beans to the pot you want to cook them in, covering them with 1-2 inches of fresh cold water. Place them on the stove over medium heat. While beans are slowly coming to a simmer, add in any herbs or seasonings that you want to flavor your beans with. Do not add salt at this point. Put a lid on the pot and stir occasionally, maintaining a simmer, for 90 minutes or until beans are tender.

Soup bean flavoring suggestions
I add different seasonings to the beans depending on the type and what I'm using them for. If you want to just season the beans, add seasonings whole and tie them in a bundle to easily remove them when you're done cooking.

• Black beans: Oregano sprigs, garlic cloves, black peppercorns. Makes a great side dish if you use chopped fresh or dried oregnao flakes, minced garlic and ground black pepper. Serve with some of their liquid and a scoop each of salsa and sour cream.
• Chick peas/garbonzo beans: Bay leaves, garlic cloves, black peppercorns.
• Great Northern/Navy beans: Rosemary sprigs, garlic cloves, black peppercorns.
• Pinto beans: Bay leaves, ham hock or other scraps of pork. This is how to serve traditional soup beans, but usually if I have ham, I'd just make ham and bean soup.

Once the beans are tender, you can add salt and serve them as soup beans, use them in place of canned beans in any recipe, or store them in their liquid in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

One recipe that I think has been greatly improved by using dried beans rather than canned is hummus. The secret to a healthy, creamy hummus is including the bean liquid. I'd never dream of using the slimey goop that canned beans are packed in.

You can make hummus with any beans, not just chick peas, but let's start with the what's familiar.

Chick Pea Hummus
I think it's best to make hummus in advance and give the flavors at least a few hours to mingle for best results.
Ingredients
1 heaping cup of dried garbonzo beans
1 bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 c. bean liquid
2 T. tahini
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1/4 t. salt
Dash of black pepper

Instructions
Follow the above instructions for cooking dried beans, using a bay leaf in the cooking water. You should have 2 cups of cooked beans. Reserve cooking liquid. In a food processor, chop 2 cloves of garlic. Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. You may want to add fresh herbs or veggies to the food processor and make a flavored hummus, such as parsley, chives, carmelized onions, roasted red peppers, etc.

You can make just plain hummus and then dress it up when you serve it, like adding olives, crushed red pepper and olive oil. Pita or tortilla chips make great dippers, but it's great with carrot sticks, too. I also use it in a vegetarian wrap with lettuce, carrots,green onions, tomatoes and feta cheese.

Black Bean Hummus
Instead of salsa and guacamole at your next fiesta, try this spicy black bean hummus for an interesting change.

Ingredients
1 heaping cup of black beans
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 T. bean liquid
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 T. tahini
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1 small jalapeno, copped and seeded


Instructions
Follow the above instructions for cooking dried beans, using oregano sprigs in the cooking water. You should have 2 cups of cooked beans. Reserve 1 T. cooking liquid. In a food processor, chop 2 cloves of garlic. Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. If you like it spicier, you can leave the seeds in the chopped jalapeno, or top the hummus with a pinch of cayenne pepper.