DEBORAH CROMBIE: Our town's Saturday farmer's market is in full swing and absolutely packed with people from the time it opens until it closes at noon. If you want the best stuff, however, you need to go early. Peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are in, as well as the first melons. It's still too early for field tomatoes, but making up for that lack is the first sighting of fresh black-eyed peas, lady cream peas, purple hulls, and pintos.
For years I've cooked all of the peas as long as they're in season, especially the delicate lady creams, but I hadn't had as much experience with pintos until recently. Surprisingly, it's really hard to find any recipe instructions online--if you type in a search for "how to cook fresh pintos" you invariably get back recipes for dried beans. This is a shame as the fresh beans are delicious. Look how pretty they are when they're raw, almost opalescent!
And cooking them is easy-peasy! Rinse, toss in stockpot, cover with an inch or so of water or stock, throw in some aromatics (I used sliced shallot, a couple of garlic cloves, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, some peppercorns, and a splash of white wine.)
Bring to a simmer, cook until tender and creamy, being sure to add liquid if they start to dry out. Unlike the long cook time for dried beans, these should only take half an hour to forty-five minutes. Keep tasting! Then add salt. You can eat them just like this, or with rice, or jazz them up with more seasoning, use in salads, drain and mash for tacos, etc., etc.
Here, I had some for lunch with sliced avocado, lime, sea salt, cilantro, salsa verde, and a dollop of homemade kimchi.
Reds and readers, do you get fresh peas and beans in your markets? Or is this more of a southern thing? Although I have a vague and probably apocryphal memory of my mom and grandmother sitting on the patio and shelling fresh peas, I never see them in the shell in the markets here now.
These look delicious! We generally have green beans and lima beans in our market, but no pinto beans. Peas are plentiful, too . . . .
ReplyDeleteI'll bet fresh limas are yummy. We don't see those.
DeleteWow, they look lovely, Debs. I have never seen fresh pinto or any other variety of beans raw, except for green beans and yellow beans. I bet they are very different from dried beans that we usually use. Are canned pinto beans prepared from dried or from raw beans?
ReplyDeleteWhat a good question, Judy! Probably dried, as the fresh ones can't be stored for long. I would think fresh-picked commercial beans go straight into a drying plant. Just goes to show we should know more about how our food is grown and processed.
DeleteDEBS: Fresh, creamy beans for cooking sounds yummy! It must taste so different from cooking with dried or canned beans.
ReplyDeleteOur local FM's opening day was on Saturday June 1. Our growing season is much shorter than most of North America (Ottawa is in growing zone 4A).
Like JUDY, I have only seen wax beans (green and yellow) sold in our FM.
Of course everything here will be burned up by midsummer!!
DeleteDebs, I’m fairly sure that fresh beans are more of a southern thing.
ReplyDeleteHere, in Quebec, I never heard that we could have fresh beans and never saw them at the farmer’s markets.
Like Judy and Grace said, we only have fresh green and yellow wax beans.
I would happily have tried your lunch.
Danielle
It was delicious, Danielle! One of the farmer's market vendors sells the salsa verde, which I (sort of) joke I can just drink straight from the bottle. I suspect this is something you don't get in Canada! It's made from tomatillos. For anyone not familar with this little green fruit, here's a fun explanation: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-are-tomatillos#:~:text=What%20are%20tomatillos%20then%3F,to%20their%20resistance%20to%20disease.
DeleteMy mom loved salsa verde, too, and I grew up with homemade, but somehow I never got her recipe.
Never seen fresh pinto beans
ReplyDeleteMore delicate tasting than the dried, Dru.
DeleteThere were fresh pinto beans in our farmers market this morning. We have apricots, peaches, strawberries, cherries and just about any fruit you would desire. Blackberries and raspberries too,
DeleteI am in the southern end of the Bay Area in California.
I’ve had fresh peas and facade beans - yum - but I’ve never seen other beans fresh in our market or farmers market … so jealous
ReplyDeleteFAVA beans - blasted autocorrect
DeleteI knew what you meant, Hallie! We don't see favas here, and I'm not sure I've ever had them although I'm always reading about them. What are they similar to?
DeleteOh, Debs, before I forget, Irwin wanted me to tell you that he is loving THE RIVERS OF LONDON. He is rarely effusive about books, so that is a big win.
ReplyDeleteOh, how great!! He's finished Book #12, so am hoping it will be out next winter, plus a new novella in the fall. You have so much fun in store! And the audio!!!!!
DeleteOh my Debs, that looks so good! And all that fruit in your market...
ReplyDeleteYes, I couldn't get to the market yesterday so am feeling quite gloomy. The berry season is short and I hate to miss even a week...
DeleteThere is no Farmer’s Market near us until about September when our growing season starts to get overflowing, so we eat from the garden. Fresh peas are so delicious, and so time consuming – all that taking from the pod to get enough for a meal, so peas are best eaten as you do the garden tour – see, pick, eat, move on. (we used to have a dog – named Little Black Dog, who also loved peas but would not take peas from the plant unless you were in the garden – then watch her go!. This dog, Alfalfa, is death on blueberries – loves them and picks them full heartedly).
ReplyDeleteAll our fresh produce is from our garden, with the exception of potatoes – they take up too much garden space for what you get back, so were sacrificed. Today was supposed to be the day to dig the dahlia garden but apparently it is planning on being very wet. Most of the rest of the seeds have yet to go in, but this spring has a massive bloom on the trees, so hopefully the summer treat of sour cherries will be good. In the meanwhile, we are enjoying the lovely crisp, red, succulent rhubarb – are you all drooling? (too sour for you – add salt – trust me on the this!)
I do like rhubarb! I'm assuming you can grow it here, but I don't think I've ever seen it in the market. Margo, do you put up a lot of your garden produce for the off seasons?
DeleteI used to, but find that some things as just too much (as in quantity) for us, so tend to give them away. The rhubarb - will be eating it until mid-July, but give away more than we eat. Last year's 2 pkgs are still in the freezer... The thing that I am reluctant to give away willy-nilly is the sour cherries - we can have 6 gallons one year and none the next so tend to hold on to them. Somewhat the same with strawberries - pure piggery on my part. We are still eating last year's carrots, but if you consider that 2 5 lb bags will probably last us the winter and cost 1.99/bag - well sometimes I wonder! I would like to try fresh limas - tried to grow them one year and not successful. I love them roasted in the fat and drippings in a pork roast.
DeleteYummy! Back in my farming days, I grew some kind of fresh shell beans with French in the name (it was too long ago to remember). Agree about how tender they are. Like everyone else, I don't see that kind of bean in my local farm stands, but now I'm inspired to find seeds and grow some.
ReplyDeleteI would think, as Margo says, you have to grow a lot to make it worthwhile, but it would be fun to try.
DeleteDebs, my mouth is watering for a simple, tasty dish like this!
ReplyDeleteAlthough your recipe looks more French, it's definitely a Southern thing (maybe both). My daughter's first husband was from Georgia, and we once had a conversation about beans. His family had a history in farming, but he wouldn't eat vegetables. I asked him what he did like, and he said beans. After a lot of misunderstood remarks on both our parts, it finally dawned on me that he liked the kinds of beans I had dried in the pantry, only his family cooked them fresh. We were both mystified as to why the other didn't know/did this, and other things.
This year I have twice tried to grow Southern zipper cream beans, and they refuse to come up, can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I wonder if the Southern zipper creams are the same as what we call Lady Creams? They are so delicious, and definitely what I'll be buying at the market as long as they're available. I cook those REALLY simply. Usually sautee a couple of green onions (onions and shallots are too strong here) in some olive oil, toss in the rinsed peas, cover with homemade chicken stock, simmer until tender. I really don't want anything to interfere with the taste of the peas. I like to serve them with hot brown rice, sauteed okra, and sliced fresh tomatoes when the good ones come in. Now i'm drooling!
DeleteYummy --those look delicious! We do get fresh peas and beans in the Farmer's Market, but I haven't looked for fresh pinto beans. Perhaps I will!
ReplyDeleteRight now is strawberry season in Oregon, and that's the big draw at the market. Last week, my sister and I bought a half flat of Sweet Sunrise berries. Delicious! Yesterday, however, was the big day! The Hood Strawberries were in season. We wait all year for the 3-4 weeks when the Hoods are available. They are the quintessential Oregon berry, sweet, juicy and red all the way through. I got to the market just after 8 (when they open) and stood in line at the Unger Farms booth for about 15 minutes. It was definitely worth the wait!
Blueberries and blackberries (and peaches) are usually the big thing here, but we've had fabulous strawberries this year. Such a treat!
DeleteLocal strawberries are just starting to appear at some FM this week. Pick-your-own farms open mid-June. Niagara peaches soooo good but not in FM until July-August. Wild blueberries and sour cherries are available late summer, too.
DeleteI bought fresh fava beans at the farmers market this week. New and tender. It makes such a difference. Also tiny new potatoes and baby broccoli I used to love the taste of freshly shucked peas. We don’t see them much here
ReplyDeleteGreen peas or field peas, Rhys? So funny, when I was a child the only vegetable I refused to eat was canned peas. Now I'm gobsmacked that my mother ever served such a thing as she was always so big on the fresh stuff. It was only much later that I discovered that I loved fresh green peas. Trader Joe's usually has them in the produce aisle, btw.
DeleteWe have English peas in the garden right now, Rhys! They are so precious, because it takes a LOT of pods to have enough peas for a meal, but like fava and lima beans, both really worth the effort.
DeleteI grew lima beans last year, and we loved them so much I put some in again this year. Yum.
Bad comment to see from a gardener, BUT, frozen small peas are so much better that fresh peas. I know hanging my head in shame, but thems the facts, ma'am...
DeleteI kinda agree with you, Margo. I tried growing English peas for 2 years and barely got enough pods for 1 side dish serving. Not worth the effort in my balcony garden.
DeleteI was looking up beans on the Internet and came across this warning...
ReplyDelete"Is it OK to eat beans raw?
Consumption of common beans (e.g. green beans, French beans) and other beans (e.g. red kidney beans, white kidney beans) without proper processing may cause poisoning due to the naturally present toxins lectins (e.g. phytohaemagglutinins). Acute poisoning symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain"
I don't know if this is true or not but who would want to eat raw beans anyway.
Maybe this would be an mystery murder plot - killed by raw beans. LOL!
Too funny! I imagine you'd have to eat a LOT of raw beans! Raw potatoes are toxic, too, but my husband loved to snack on them when he was growing up and he's still around.
DeleteWe grew all kinds of beans when I was a kid--nothing like them fresh from the garden!
ReplyDeleteThis makes me so sad that I didn't grow up in a gardening family. My dad loved flowers but had no interest in growing vegetables.
DeleteI love love, love, fresh peas! Oh my goodness, what a treat! But unless they are green string beans or yellow string beans, you know, I am not a beans person. :-) I know they must be good, because everyone loves them, I just don’t know how that got to be a gap in my
ReplyDeleteMaybe you had a bad experience somewhere along the line, Hank. And they are all quite different. I have a friend who adores pintos but can't stand black beans (which I love!) Rick won't eat limas and can't stand garbanzos. I am an equal opportunity bean eater, however!
DeleteOops. Gap in my taste buds I meant.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you mentioned this Hank. I've heard that some people don't like cilantro because their taste buds cause the cilantro to taste like soap. And I can't stand the strong taste or smell or rosemary. Maybe there is something more organic than just preference.
DeleteYour lunch looks so good. Do you deliver?
ReplyDelete:-)
DeleteSmiling. It's not just a southern thing. I really do remember shelling fresh peas with my mom and grandmother...and I grew up 20 miles from Canada! The veg might be different though. I am remembering green peas and green or yellow string beans. I don't remember even seeing anything like fresh kidney or pinto beans.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely need to hear from some more Southerners!
DeleteExactly!
ReplyDeleteMy dad was from the deep south (Vicksburg, Mississippi) and loved black eye peas which are beans (according to the Internet).
ReplyDeleteDebs I love the recipe you shared with the pintos. Mashed up they'd make great refried beans and that means burritos!!
Here in Atlanta, we have Lady Peas, (always just called them Lady Peas, no Cream) and Pink Eye peas already in. The Butter Beans aren't in yet. I had a fabulous cantaloupe from Tifton GA the other day. I love when the vendor tells you where the fruit and veggies are from. We have tomatoes and peaches and blackberries. We had a huge garden in the back yard growing up and I remember well shelling peas and butter beans. We often had and still do have just a vegetable supper, sometimes with corn bread. I hate hot weather but I do love the produce!
ReplyDeleteThe farmer’s market in my town opens next week. They don’t have much in the way of produce until about the middle of July since I am in MA and a lot of the vegetables have barely started to peek their little shoots out of the ground.
ReplyDeleteThe vendors may differ from one market to another so even if something is not sold in my local market it might be available in another city or town.
Apples are the biggest draw in the fall. There are a lot of different varieties grown in New England.
All the produce here has to be locally grown so that’s why there are a lot of fruits and vegetables that never appear in our farmer’s market but are available in the grocery stores.
There are a number of fruits in particular that I would like to see here such as cherries, blueberries, apricots and peaches. We do have them, but the blueberries usually come from either North Carolina or New Jersey, cherries from Oregon or Washington and unless they are on sale they tend to be too expensive to buy regularly. We also get most of our other fruits and vegetables from other parts of the country or sometimes from other places such as Canada or Mexico.
I have never seen any sort of beans other than string beans at the market. That’s fine with me since I don’t really care for them and I know why-it’s the texture that I don’t like. The only kind I do like are baked beans which I had occasionally when I was growing up, but it was always from a can and I think it was the sauce that made it palatable for me.
Right now, until the produce starts appearing, the vendors will be selling other types of food such as fish, meat, eggs and baked or individually prepared dishes.
Last year there was a woman and her mother who made Ukrainian dishes. They usually sold out of a lot of dishes by the time I was able to get there late in the afternoon. I hope they will be there this year.
At the height of gardening season in Nova scotia, where the gardening season is late, the top recipe is hodge podge. This usually makes it to the table in late august, when the herring is running and you can have a meal of the bony fish, and this (delicious) vegetable dish.
ReplyDeleteRecipe: put in boiling salted water in order of time needed to be cooked:
Fresh new potatoes, green beans and yellow beans - snapped, fresh new carrots, peas if you still have them, corn off the cob if you grew it (not likely to be ready to eat yet, but you can hope), small onions. Cook al dente. Drain.
Add to pan a generous bit of chopped green bacon, fat pork or even bacon cut in small bits. Cook with vegetables NOT DRAINING Any FAT. Add a generous portion of fresh whipping cream, and salt and pepper. Turn out on a serving platter. You may want to add some butter. Enjoy! (heart attack comes later, but it was well worth it!)
Love the heart attack comment as that’s what I was thinking (though the hodge podge does sound good). What, though, is GREEN bacon? That sounds like bacon gone bad… — Pat S
DeleteAlso known as fresh bacon - not smoked. Usually comes in thick slices. Often found as a part of the french Cabin a sucre (maple syrup season meal). Personally I don't really like it and will take fat pork any day - slab of skin crusted pork fat soaked and cured in salt - a delicacy for cooking slices potatoes and often found in baked beans. Found in Atlantic Canada kitchens.
DeleteI remember shelling black eyes at my in-laws' place, out on the patio. They probably bought them at the farmers market. I included some "snaps" after checking for strings. FIL Pic hated strings! My mom and her mom always included snaps so I do too. Last I checked I could find fresh blackeyes and others at the grocery. But that was in Houston and now I'm in Virginia. I'll have to check later in the season at our weekly farmers market and at the grocery.
ReplyDeleteLots of fresh peas and of course green beans at the farmers markets, but I haven't seen fresh beans. I do remember my Alabama grandmother cooking them literally fresh from their garden (which was HUGE) and eating them with greens and some sort of pork.
ReplyDeleteYour dish looks utterly delicious, Lucy, and I'm salivating right now!
Not yet, but soon we will be. Our local crops are just going in. We had frost two nights ago! I have never seen fresh beans in the market. Not even in Florida. I wonder if it's a more western thing? They look yummy!
ReplyDeleteDeborah...take a look at the Chestnut Square Recipe book.
ReplyDeleteWe prefer Purple Hulls, but everyone has a favorite.
The Chestnut Square Recipe book has great FM recipes!
Thank you!
DeleteI do eat and enjoy them, PNW all the way, but my mother was an excellent cook and served us everything...this is the way she cooked them, too
ReplyDelete