Seasonal Sundays (Week 9) Dried Beans for "Bridge" Season

Let's cook some beans! They're economical, healthy ... and extra-perfect as the seasons transition. I hope you'll find one or two or three recipes that inspire and once cooked, insert themselves into your own collection of "keepers" ...

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Hey, all. Thank you for following Kitchen Parade, for checking in on these Sunday recipe collections. It means the world to be welcomed into your InBox and RSS readers and most of all, your kitchens. So thank you, thank you. And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share them with a friend or social circle?

Today is sponsored (ahem) by two public service announcements.

First, spring starts this week, if we will it with sheer gumption. Bring it on, you March lion.

And yeah, yeah, the stars in charge of all things astronomical insist that Spring launches on March 20th.

But me? Nope. After all these years, I've finally figured out my Inner Calendar. Spring is March, April and May. Summer is June, July and August. Fall is September, October and November. And winter is December, January and February.

You're welcome.

But then, real life inserts itself into the equation. In Florida, March may definitely push spring-like and even summer-like but in my home state of Minnesota, March (and even May) is likely to lean into winter more than spring.

That means some weeks and even whole months are "bridges" of transition. For awhile, you're standing on one end of the bridge, then maybe there's a day or two on the other end.

And how, you're wondering, does this affect seasonal cooks? Well, who can predict more than a day or two or three in advance where we stand on the metaphorical bridge?

So it pays to be prepared! And ready to switch at the first sign of steps forward ... or back.

Second, it's time to cook all those beans we've been buying since fall. Cuz they're not gonna keep, Why Dried Beans Won't Cook. Take it from this long-time bean lover, cook 'em now or throw them away in the fall.

And while we're on the bridge, those beans are going to taste so-so-so good. "Light" as in plant-based, even if there's a meat protein involved. But "hearty" as only beans can be.

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: That's an abandoned railroad bridge somewhere in Missouri, maybe Washington County. I took it twelve years ago this week.

In Praise Of ...

• ... seasonally appropriate daffodils fronds pushing sunward, much welcome, unlike the seasonally INappropriate ones spied on, get this, New Year's Day, way way too early


• ... the stoic eagle mamas (and papas) who this week withstood historic blizzards in central Minnesota and southern California (California? southern?! its first since 1989) wholly unaware of the hundreds and even many thousands of human eyes observing the nesting pairs from afar, thanks to live cams in Minnesota and California. I admit, I checked several many times a day and even in the night and finally just kept both live windows open for hours at a time. Just beautiful!


• ... the Manna Café and Bakery Cookbook by Barb Pratzel, the source of the Oatcakes (Oatmeal Pancakes) so many of us are loving. I've been cooking from it all week and have another dozen/more recipes bookmarked. The recipes are really well-written (and tested by a circle of friends/fans) and straight-forward and easy to riff from. I have dozens (hundreds?) of cookbooks and it's been a long while since I've been so smitten.

Democracy Matters

The country needs calm, thoughtful and assertive voices amid the chaos inflicted by a minority hellbent on taking/retaining generational power by strangling democratic principles and equal rights. None of us have to personally change the world. We just have to do our part. Pick one thing for the top of your To Do List this week.

It's impossible to keep up. But one very good way to stay generally aware of the assault on democracy is to follow / subscribe to Democracy Docket. There's no way to "read" it all but even a quick scan will keep you primed for the attacks not only at the federal level but especially at the state level.

Honestly, it's stunning.

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SEASONAL INSPIRATION: Seven Bean Recipes (Some with Dried Beans, Some with Canned)

• THE RECIPE How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Especially for Hummus aka "Jerusalem Chickpeas" For extra-smooth, extra rich hummus.
• THEN MAKE THIS Crazy-Smooth Crazy-Good Hummus Perfected with three special techniques.
• OR THIS Roasted Eggplant “Hummus" (Eggplant & Chickpea Dip & Spread)

• THE RECIPE Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki) Cooked til creamy in the oven.
• ANOTHER Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans" A hearty bean dish, meaty enough for supper, but more often served as a side at potlucks.

• THE RECIPE Cabbage & White Bean Stew
• ANOTHER TAKE Peasant Cabbage Tomato Soup

• THE RECIPE Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle Vegan chili, colorful vegetables and beans warmed with chili spices.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chocolate Chili My long-time recipe, meaty and full of spices and a touch of chocolate.

• THE RECIPE At Last! Black Bean Soup My signature recipe for thirty years.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Lentil Soup Comfort food for a crowd.

• THE RECIPE Red Beans & Rice Slow cooked Creole comfort food
• ANOTHER TAKE Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken Simple comfort food with smoky flavors.

• THE RECIPE Ham & Beans How to make Ham & Beans with a leftover ham bone.
• ANOTHER TAKE Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup Traditional on Tuesdays, without fail.

What's New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE How to Cook Dried Beans from Scratch (Slow Cooker or Oven Slow-Cooking) Easy, economical, delicious.

Looking Ahead ... ...

• Fridays During Lent - Friday Fish
• March 1 - Alanna's Unofficial First Day of Spring ;-)
• March 14 - Pi Day
• March 17 - St. Patrick's Day
• March 20 - First Official Day of Spring
• April 9 - Easter

• THE COLLECTION Kitchen Parade's Fish Recipes, many Quick Suppers, many healthy meals.
• AND ANOTHER Kitchen Parade's Seafood Recipes including shrimp, oysters, lobster, crab.

• THE COLLECTION St. Patrick's Day Recipes including fun ideas for "green food".
• ALL THE HOLIDAYS All the Holidays Year-round food for fun and celebration.

• THE COLLECTION Easter Recipes From brunch to bunny hunts and much more.
• ALL THE HOLIDAYS All the Holidays Year-round food for fun and celebration.

Looking Back ...

• Breakfast Occasions (Week 8)
• Dinner for ♥♥ (Week 7)
• Winter Salads (Week 6)
• Leaning into Lentils (Week 5)
• Quick Breads (Week 4)
• Winter Dinners (Week 3)
• Winter Plant-Based Dinners (Week 2)
• A Cozy Cool Down (Week 1)

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from the last week.

• THIS WEEK Warm morning temps made it feel like spring, the start of smoothie season, yes? I've taken to mixing a blenderful (this week avocado, arugula, some drying-out tangerines, buttermilk and ice), removing a small portion for myself, then finishing it with maple syrup, flax, etc. for my husband. The extra goes in the fridge because we all know about Make-Ahead Smoothies, right?!
• THE RECIPE Green Smoothies 14 Tips + 5 Sample Recipes

• THIS WEEK My husband can't pass up a good smoked pork chop, nothing makes me happier. I use this recipe for thick chops, this week with a new Creole seasoning for the chops and repeated on some roasted potato wedges. Dare I say, man friendly food?!
• THE RECIPE Perfect Thick Pork Chops Turn out juicy, perfectly cooked meat every time.

• THIS WEEK So it's the time of year when more often than not, a tray of veggies goes into the oven more nights than not. This week I roasted a tray of those beautiful multi-colored carrots from Trader Joe's. So pretty! And purple, yellow and white carrots have slightly different flavors too! Recommended!
• THE RECIPE How to Roast Carrots Written especially for new cooks.

Just Updated!

• START WITH Spiced Preserved Lemons A cornerstone ingredient in Moroccan cuisine.
• THEN MAKE Spiced Chicken Tagine with Roasted Cauliflower A one-pot supper with warm spices.

• THE COLLECTION Best Recipes of 2005 from Kitchen Parade, just one recipe for every month.
• THE BEST OF THE BEST Best-Ever “Most Useful” Recipes 2002 – Present

• THE RECIPE Steamed Broccoli Rabe
• ANOTHER TAKE Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with Peppers

• THE RECIPE How to Roast a Whole Butternut Squash No knives, perfect results.
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Roast Vegetables 22 Tips + Master Recipe

• THE RECIPE Hamburger Soup A hearty soup with chunks of meat and a cornucopia of bright-colored vegetables.
• ANOTHER TAKE My Chicken Noodle Soup The way I make it, meaty and noodle-y with just a few noodles.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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