Summer cannelloni stew and smitten hamantaschen cookies

Beans (skip this if using canned beans):

4 cups of dried cannelloni beans

10-12 cups of water

1 TBSP Kosher salt

1 head of garlic, peeled

1 springs of sage

Rinse beans and cover with water. Soak beans for at least 12 hours.

Rinse beans again. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add beans and remaining ingredients.

Simmer beans in a covered pot for 30 minutes. Open the lid and simmer for another 15-30 minutes until beans a soft, but don't fall apart.

Remove beans from the pot reserving 2 cups of bean water and discard sage with garlic.

Stew

1 TBSP olive oil

2 ounces of cubed guanciale or prosciutto or smoked bacon

3 medium or 2 large carrots piled if skin is thick and chopped into small rounds or half rounds

4 cups of cannelloni beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil (I use the same pot that I made beans in) and add meat. Lower the heat to medium low and cover the meat letting the fats melt.

Once the fats melted increase the heat and add carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes until carrots are caramelized.

Mix in the beans and saute for another minute or so.

Add reserved bean water and lower the heat to simmer.

Let the stew simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the liquid thickens.

If you like heartier stew mash the beans lightly with a potato masher.

Serve with toasted dark bread and good beer.

Recipe for cookies can be found at http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/03/hamantaschen/

Fresh cranberry beans with summer pistou

I can't pass a farmers' market without buying something. Last week I got lucky and snagged a tangle of fresh cranberry beans, still in their pods, a few quick steps away from dinner. Fresh beans cook in 20 - 25 minutes and certainly don't need soaking. At the same stand, I grabbed some parsley and arugula, thinking a quick pistou would be a lovely foil for the beans. We ate the beans with a big arugula salad and some homemade meatballs that mom made.

Fresh cranberry beans with summer pistou

Serves 2 -4, depending on what else is for dinner

1.5 pounds of fresh cranberry beans to make about 1 pound shelled

A good fistful of parsley

1-2 cups of arugula

1 garlic clove

Hard cheese, like Parmesan, finely grated

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Olive oil, salt, pepper

Bring a medium pot of water to the boil and shell the beans by pulling on the string at one side meanwhile. Salt the water generously and add the beans. Taste them after 20 minutes; drain if tender or let cook for another 5 minutes or so. Meanwhile, make the pistou. I make mine using a mortar and pestle, but you can use a small food processor. If you decide to use a mortar and pestle, chop the parsely and arugula and the garlic finely, then pound in the mortar, adding salt, pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/4 cup of olive oil. If making in the food processor, just let the machine blitz it all together. Either way, taste to make sure you like it.

By now, the beans should be tender but not mushy. Mix the drained beans with the pistou, taste to see if additional cheese, salt, or pepper are needed and serve.