Sunday Side Makes a Great Lunch for the Week

The Location: Cambridge, MA
The Book: Heirloom Beans from Rancho Gordo by Steve Sando and Vanessa Barrington
The Recipe: Pasta Fazool
The Soundtrack: The Decemberists, The King is Dead

I just bought another cookbook. That brings this week's tally to six. SIX!!! Granted three of them I have wanted for some time (all canning books), one was an impulse to go with my new Japanese pickle maker (yes!), one is the Sriracha cookbook (really when I told you about it, did you think I could resist?), and one I bought today, Avec Eric. I had to have it you see because I am going to see him speak in March. Did I tell you this? Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain are speaking at Symphony Hall  in Boston and I am going! I am so excited. Too bad no one is excited to go with me. Oh well.

I actually mentioned this recipe in my last post, but it's so good I made it again. Well, it being so good is only part of the reason I made it again. You see, I kind of went on a bean buying spree. I wasn't sure I could get Rancho Gordo beans in Boston so I stocked up a few months ago in an online order. The good news is I found a place to buy them just down the street from my house. The bad news is that in my panic about not having access I over bought.

There seems to be a trend of over buying in my posts. Over buying and bacon. Yup, this recipe has bacon. A measly four slices, but still that wonderful crispy pork goodness. (As an aside someone told me today that they made chocolate covered bacon. Can you imagine? It's like the Vosges bar on crack.)

I started soaking the beans on Saturday morning. I had intended to drain them that night and use them the next morning, but I got drunk Saturday. So instead of draining them I added more water at 2 AM. When I crawled into the kitchen Sunday morning and realized what I had done I drained the beans. I was worried, but maybe you can't over soak beans?

So I diced up the bacon and started to saute it. Then I started dicing the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. It's a pretty simple recipe, except it calls for fresh oregano. Even if you grow fresh herbs, who grows oregano? Luckily since I made this a few weeks ago I still had some left over that wasn't completely spoiled. I pulled the bacon out of the pan and got ready to dump everything else in. That's how easy this recipe is. Saute the bacon, remove it from the pan, add some olive oil, then add the vegetables, oregano, beans, and some chicken stock. Then bring it to a boil and simmer for an hour and a half until the beans are tender. Sweet!

So what did I do while it was simmering for an hour and a half? I made preserved lemons!

After an hour and a half I added a can of tomatoes, salt, and a cup of pasta. Once the pasta was cooked, it's done. And it is so tasty.

I served it with asparagus that I broiled with olive and salt then served with lemon zest. And a steak. 

Now I have to scour the cookbooks for a recipe that has preserved lemons. At least I have delicious pasta fazool for lunch all week.