Two Kinds of Beans

My Arizona pantry revealed a few packages of unusual dry beans that I had purchased last spring here in Tucson. I mixed two kind of beans together, washed them, and soaked them for a couple of hours.

One bean is a varietal of the mottled Jacob's Cattle bean and comes from the Four Corners area of the Southwest.

The other bean reminds me of a smaller cranberry bean, flecked, with a reddish tinge.

Both bean varieties are smaller than kidney beans and cooked up well, each keeping their color and texture. Before I put the soaked beans in the pot, I sauteed onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until translucent. While the veggies cooked, I sprinkled some Mrs. Dash seasoning and dried rosemary into the mixture.

I added water to the cooking pot and loosed any browned bits of veggie from the bottom. Then I added the beans, two bay leaves, fresh ground pepper, and brought the pot to boil before I let it simmer until the beans were al dente, about an hour.

One pot made enough for several half pint jars for the freezer and more to eat for supper. The mix of these two kinds of beans is delicious and nutritious and handy to have in the freezer to add to tacos or soup.