Pinto Bean Salad

Serves 4
1/2 cup dry pinto beans, picked over and soaked for 12 hours
1 1/2 cups water
1 medium organic tomato, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley
1/4 cup organic sweet corn, fresh or frozen, blanched 1 minute
1 tsp ume plum vinegar, or to taste
Cook dried beans on stovetop or in crockpot until soft. Drain and combine olive oil, garlic, parsley, ume vinegar, lemon and lime juices in a small mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Place cooked beans and all remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss well. Serve as is or refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
 
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Wheat Berry Chili

It was cold, snowy and windy Saturday here in Flagstaff and I definitely had a craving for a thick, yummy and spicy stew. I thought a stew would be a perfect vehicle for the wheat berries we got last week and I was right! They are sweet, earthy and chewy and provide great texture in a vegetarian chili. Wheat berries remind me of barley, and like barley, are a great source of dietary fiber. This recipe makes enough for about 4 hungry people.

Before starting the recipe, I soaked a 1/2 c. of wheat berries in 4 c. of water overnight. I also soaked the pinto, black and kidney beans overnight in enough water to cover by 5 in.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. wheat berries, soaked

1/2 c. black beans, soaked

1/2 c. pinto beans, soaked

1/4 c. kidney beans, soaked

1/2 onion, chopped

1 portobello mushroom, sliced

1 serrano chile pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped

1 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1/2 head spinach, chopped or torn (any winter green would work nicely here)

chile powder

salt to taste

olive oil

For the topping:

sharp cheddar cheese, grated

avocado

cilantro

blue corn chips

To Prepare:

I cooked the wheat berries in the same water I soaked them in. I boiled them on a low flame for about an hour. I kept tasting them to see if they were done. They should taste chewy, but not hard. Drain and set aside. After soaking overnight, I drained the beans and cooked them in about 6 c. of fresh water over a low flame for about 2-2 1/2 hours. Again, taste and check for doneness. If you had a pressure cooker, you could save time here or use canned beans. Once the beans were done cooking, I drained them (reserving the bean water) and left about a cup of their cooking water still in the pot. To this I added the wheat berries and the can of tomatoes. I happened to have some leftover quinoa from the previous night and I threw that in as well. I put this on a low simmer. While that was simmering, I sauteed the onion, serrano, chipotle, garlic, portobello mushroom in some olive oil and salt. When that was done cooking, I added it to the pot of beans. Then I added the spinach. I threw in a little chile powder and some salt to taste. If the stew looks too thick, you could thin it out with some of the reserved bean water. I let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes to let the flavors combine. I served it garnished with grated cheddar cheese, avocado and cilantro. I also added some blue corn tortilla chips for scooping.

This stew definitely satisfied my craving! It was warming, hearty and delicious. I tend to like things spicy, so adjust the flavors to suit your preference.

Pinto Bean, Tomato, and Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is just perfect for CSA members. We're getting butternut squash and pinto beans today and we picked up basil plants last week. I know I've also got dried red peppers left over from last season, too, if we don't get more with the pinto beans today.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups canned vegetable broth
2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled seeded butternut squash
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery; sauté until onions are golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add broth and next 5 ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups soup to blender; cool slightly, then puree until smooth. Return puree to pot with soup. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into 6 bowls. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon basil and serve.

Enjoy!