Heirloom Beans with Leeks

These beans take some time, but the end result is well worth it. I love how the subtle flavor of the leeks shines through. & bacon! The beans in our case were a bit overcooked, but smacking of nutty bean flavor.

1) Soak overnight two cups of dried Great Northern Beans (or other medium dried beans). Drain.

2) Add fresh water to cover, 1 bay leaf, & 1 tsp salt & bring to a boil. Simmer covered just until tender 20-45 minutes.

3) Fry up 2-4 slices of thick cut bacon. Drain on a paper towel.

4) Saute 6 cups of thinly sliced leeks in the pan for ten minutes. (or for healthier & more flavorful version remove the bacon grease & use olive oil.)

5) Crumble in the bacon & add the beans. Add 2 tbsp rice vinegar & mix well.

(I forgot the vinegar at first & then added it. It really does make a huge difference in the overall flavor of the dish. It highlights the other flavors & sits nicely in the background.)

The recipe recommended serving with cornbread, so we did! Good thing, too.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Ed Sheeran- The A Team

Green Soup

Also found in Simply in Season as "Velvety Vegetable Soup". This soup was not at all what I expected. I thought it would be crisp & light. Instead, it was more like a baked potato with wonderful herb & garden notes. I rather liked it, and went back for more. We had plenty of spinach for dinner!

The recipe makes about seven bowls and takes a little over a half hour to prepare.

I was especially happy that it featured leeks. I don't have them very often, but when I do... I like their sweet-vaguely onion layers. Washing them gently in a bowl of water. The feel, look, & smell appeal to me as much as the taste. Fresh spinach is also quite appealing.

1. Heat one chopped medium onion, four cups diced leeks, and a few diced stalks of celery in one quarter cup olive oil over medium-low heat for fifteen minutes.

2. Add two tablespoons fresh thyme & one tablespoon fresh rosemary (or thyme). Salt & pepper to taste.

3. Add four cups broth and three cups diced potatoes. Cover & simmer for fifteen minutes.

4. Add one chopped bunch of spinach & simmer for five minutes.

5. Blend in small batches in the food processor. Add one half cup milk if desired.

6. I garnished with celery leaves & plain yogurt. Some other suggestions were sprigs of fresh herbs or chive blossoms.

I also had the great luck of discovering the video below.

This has truly been a week of reawakening for me. Rediscovering what gives my life meaning. Being refreshed by the spring breezes, both the warm ones & the crisp ones.

I am enjoying the distractions the world offers from whatever-it-is that my brain typically thinks it's going to figure out through worry. Eternal life perhaps? When all around me there are reminders that life is a changing thing, not something I can keep in a jar.

I hope that wherever you are & whatever you are having for dinner, that you are able to breathe deeply & listen quietly-mesmerized from time to time.

Favorite Song (first heard on my favorite radio station): Hammock- Breathturn