Beans: Good Mother Stallard

For Christmas, I got myself a "care package" from Rancho Gordo: 6 different kinds of beans, including 2 pounds of flageolets for cassoulet. These were the first I tried. I washed them and left them to soak overnight. In the morning, I threw in a ham hock and turned on the crock pot. Got home and tried them. They were good, but not special. Melissa agreed -- not really worth a rebuy at those prices. Then I recalled that I was missing some key ingredients. Chopped some shallots and smashed some garlic and added them to the pot. Two hours later, OMG, they were amazing. A must rebuy.

For Christmas, I got myself a "care package" from Rancho Gordo: 6 different kinds of beans, including 2 pounds of flageolets for cassoulet. These were the first I tried. I washed them and left them to soak overnight. In the morning, I threw in a ham hock and turned on the crock pot. Got home and tried them. They were good, but not special. Melissa agreed -- not really worth a rebuy at those prices. Then I recalled that I was missing some key ingredients. Chopped some shallots and smashed some garlic and added them to the pot. Two hours later, OMG, they were amazing. A must rebuy.

Flageolet in cassoulet is good, Lee, but you must make an attempt to get some Tarbais beans, which the cognoscenti of the Perigord swear by. My source for such things (when friends don't just bring them back from France) is Purcell Mountain Farms in Idaho.

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

Hi Lee! Rancho Gordo sure makes the case for freshness, don't they?, even though we're essentially talking a dried product here. Before I started buying from them, I wouldn't have wondered, as I did in the case of the gigante beans I cooked earlier this week, whether or not the bean would have impressed me more had it not been in my pantry for a year and a half.

I've had Tarbais beans before, hand imported from France. I didn't think they were worth the effort, as they were only very marginally better than well sourced flageolets. Maybe I'll try the Purcell beans at some point, though.

I've had Tarbais beans before, hand imported from France. I didn't think they were worth the effort, as they were only very marginally better than well sourced flageolets. Maybe I'll try the Purcell beans at some point, though.

Having made cassoulet with both, I give the nod to the Tarbais for a superior texture when cooked, but your flageolets may bahve better than the ones I had (Purcell Mtn Farms). Can't go wrong either way, thouugh.

Mark Lipton