August Heirloom Bean & Grain Club

The August Heirloom Bean and Grain Club is full of delicious bean varieties hand picked for easy preparations and perfect pairing with the tomatoes and zucchinis that are abundant in our gardens and farmers markets right now. 

We are so excited to announce that Blue House Farms has joined the club and you'll be getting one of their lovely beans next month, AND we're getting the illusive Blue Speckled Tepary in September. Scroll down for a sneak peak at some of the amazing new beans coming up.  

Family Box Includes

Organic Peruviana Beans from Kandarian Organic Farms

Scarlet Runner Beans by Rancho Gordo

Organic Fresh Brown Milled California Japonica Rice from Chico Rice

Organic Pinto Beans from Booneville Barn Collective

*Santanero Negro Delgado Beans from Rancho Gordo (back by popular demand) 

Small Box Includes

Organic Peruviana Beans from Kandarian Organic Farms

Scarlet Runner Beans by Rancho Gordo

Organic Fresh Brown Milled California Japonica Rice from Chico Rice

ORGANIC PERUVIANA BEANS

Peruviana Beans are also known as Canary or Mayacoba Beans. No matter what you call them, this butter-yellow legume is a delicious thin skinned bean with a creamy texture similar to pinto. Dubbed the "king of beans" by Latin chefs, it is incredibly versatile and used in everything from refried beans to soups. Some claim this tasty yellow bean is easier on digestion and less gas producing than other beans.

The humble Peruviana is a decendant of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), the first bean in the Americas. The 8,000 year old bean was discovered in Peru. Peruvian beans are an important part of the diet of people of this region in modern times as well. In 1978, two yellow bean varieties of these beans were crossed by Mexican agronomists in order to improve yield and quality of the beans. The offspring of that pairing was named Mayocoba after the name of a village in the Sinaloa state. 

We are loving cooking with the Peruviana from Kandarian Organic Farms. Combine it with that organic brown rice from Chico Farms to create the classic Peruvian dish, Tacu Tacu. If you cant' get your hands on Aji Amarillo Paste you can substitute for Habanero as the closes equivalent. I like mine a bit milder so I'll use a past I make from those whole Piment d' Espelettes but it will be far from traditional.  As the corn and zucchini are exploding in the garden, this delightful gratin from Martha Rose Schulman in the New York Times will hit the spot. This simple Peruvian bean salad will be the perfect lunch on hot August days. For another rice and beans dish you might enjoy this Tex Mex Rice and Beans with Zucchini recipe. Taking your Peruviana (aka Canary) beans on a different international spin, try this delectable curry dish from Holy Cow Vegan. 

ABOUT THE FARMER

When it comes to ancient grains and farming, Larry Kandarian is legendary. Meeting Larry at the Santa Monica farmers market feels like meeting an agricultural prophet. He can talk to you all day about varieties of beans and grains you've never heard of and how going beyond just organic to fully sustainable and regenerative farming creates better tasting food. His deeply weathered hands from over 50 years working in the fields, let you know that he's the real deal. Unlike others, Larry doesn't just own a farm, he is a true farmer. He is passionate about growing better tasting food that is also better for us and the planet. His incredibly diverse array of grains, legumes, herbs and spices grown in Los Osos, California are all carefully chosen heirloom varieties that work together to create a self-sustaining eco-system that requires no fertilizer, pesticides or weed killers. All of this leads to better soil health, and when you grow food in better soil it just tastes better. You can listen to Larry on apodcast by Consumed here. 

SCARLET RUNNER BEANS

Scarlet runner bean, Phaseolus coccineus, is native to the mountains of Mexico and Central America, growing at higher elevations than the common bean. It's is the show off of beans producing gorgeous bright red flowers on the vine and large beans mottled with purple and black. Many plant it simply as an ornamental plant in their gardens but they are missing out on some unforgettable meals by not using these beauties in the kitchen. 

Like many runner beans, scarlet is large and a tad starchy with a texture similar to potato. They have a nutty, almost meaty flavor making it a fantastic meat substitute in vegan cooking. We've been sautéing it with mushrooms, tomatoes and greens from the garden as we would with the Christmas Lima because they have a similar flavor profile. You can see our recipe HERE. 

ORGANIC BROWN CALIFORNIA JAPONICA RICE

Fresh Brown Milled California Japonica has the ultimate fresh and nutty flavor with a delicious fragrance and bold taste that will leave you craving more with every bite. The extra bran layer is packed with nutrition, keeping you fuller, longer. This 100% organic rice is grown and milled in sunny California by a small family farm determined to change the way you think about rice. 

ABOUT THE FARMERS

We are so honored to have the award winning family farm Chico Rice in the August club! They are some of the only farmers who mill and pack their own rice. This means that all their rice comes from the same place and they know exactly how it was grown - responsibly, sustainably, and with the utmost love and care.⁠
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The rice is 100% CCOF and USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO⁠
ZERO PESTICIDES⁠
ZERO HERBICIDES⁠
ZERO GMOS⁠
ZERO STRAW BURNING⁠
NOTHING ARTIFICIAL⁠
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Every bag of rice they sell is lovingly hand-packed by the same farmers who grew it from the seed. ⁠ ⁠
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At Chico Rice, they bring unparalleled freshness to the consumer! Using their unique artisan rice mill, they can provide the freshest possible premium rice before the delicate flavors escape the grain. Until you smell and taste the difference between their fresh milled rice and the store-bought stuff, you won't realize what you've been missing!

SANTANERO NEGRO DELGADO BEANS

Back by popular demand, this impossible to find bean is part of the XOXOC project by Rancho Gordo. The Santanero is a favorite black bean from Oaxaca, a place where black beans are practically a religion. They are renown for the delectable soupy liquid they give off so they are best prepared simply as a pot of beans. Enjoy them as a side sprinkled with some cheese, cilantro or use them in burritos, tacos and salads. 

ORGANIC PINTO BEANS

These organically grown pinto beans will blow away anything you've ever had from a store. Elevate your chili and transform refried beans with creamy, flavorful pinto beans (yes, pintos can be flavorful!) that cook up fast because they're fresh! We are so proud that the farmer that brings us Piment d'Ville has trusted us with the limited edition first harvest of these absolute gems. We're pretty sure they are the only commercially available beans threshed by bicicle. Grab some farm to table beans and get cookin'!

ABOUT THE FARMERS

Boonville Barn Collective uses sustainable agricultural techniques to produce healthy food without compromising future generations' ability to do the same. Located 100 miles north of San Francisco our farm is Renegade certified. 

What started as a way to produce a locally grown Basque chile powder has evolved into a venture focused on building community and growing great spices and beans. They don't grow chiles just because they make our food taste incredible. They grow these chiles and produce value-added products in order to provide their team with better working conditions than conventional farms offer, to pay their team better than other agricultural work does, and so they can ALL be proud of the work they do. We're so proud to support them in the important work they are doing for the community and the planet.

Coming Next Month

Blue House Farms will be in the club next month!  Blue House is wildly popular in farmers markets with an astonishing variety of organic fruits, vegetables and flowers growing on over 70 acres in Pescadero and San Gregorio, California. Now you don't need to live near them to taste the bounty from their fields. We will be featuring the Painted Pony beans for everyone in September. 

We are also very excited to announce that bean club members will get the drop dead gorgeous and incredibly rare organic blue speckled tepary bean from Rio Del Rey Farms. Grown on their small family owned farm in Northern San Diego County California, this ancient bean comes from the highlands of Northern Mexico and is believed to be of Mayan ancestry. They are light tan and speckled blue like a robin's egg with a flavor that has been described as earthy and slightly sweet. Tepary beans have been grown by Native American tribes for thousands of years and are incredibly drought tolerant. 

ALSO IN THE SEPTEMBER BOX

We will be further exploring regenerative farming with fonio, the gluten-free ancient grain from West Africa brought to us by chef Pierre Thiam. Fonio is an undiscovered gem here in America. It is grown by small rural, mostly women, farmers in the West African Sahel. We're over the moon about this is an amazing opportunity to learn all about the native foods and help create economic opportunities for people living in extreme poverty. Activism has never been so delicious.