February 2023 Heirloom Bean and Grain Club

This month we have one of the oldest and rarest varieties of corn still in existence. Rescued from the bring of extinction, Mohawk Red will give you a taste of history. We're also taking a deep dive into regenerative agriculture, featuring a family owned farm from Wisconsin advocating for soil health. It is not overstating the point to say the future of our planet depends on regenerative practices and a return to native traditions. 

THE FAMILY BOX CONTAINS:

Regeneratively Farmed Organic Great Northern Beans, Jacob's Cattle Beans, Fat Red Hominy, Organic Yellow Indian Woman Beans, Organic Sangre De Toro Beans

REGULAR SIZE CONTAINS:

Regeneratively Farmed Organic Great Northern Beans, Jacob's Cattle Beans, Fat Red Hominy

BEAN ONLY CONTAINS:

Regeneratively Farmed Organic Great Northern Beans, Jacob's Cattle Beans, Organic Sangre De Toro Beans

ABOUT DOUDLAH FARMS

When we first came across Doudlah Farms and read about their commitment to regenerative agriculture and organic farming we knew we had to work with them. Mark Doudlah is a 6th generation farmer in Wisconsin. His father and his fathers father, and generations before that had been conventional farmers on that same land, the same as all their neighbors. Then Mark's dad was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, known as The Midwest Farmers' Cancer. Doctors said the cause of his cancer was most likely due to his long-term exposure to herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and degreasers. Mark knew what he had to do. Today Doudlah Farms practices and advocates for organic regenerative and bio-dynamic farming practices (fancy names for growing nutrient-rich foods that are good for you and the future of human health). This is a family owned and family run farm. If you call, you will probably talk to Mark's wife Sherry “Lucy”, as I did when I ordered the beans in your box. Mark is a trailblazer, educating and paving a new way for farmers like himself. We are thrilled to be featuring their Great Northern Beans this month in the club and adding their products to the store very soon. We are huge fans.

WHAT IS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE?

Regenerative agriculture is a farming system that focuses on restoring and preserving the health of our ecosystems. It involves utilizing holistic practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, composting, no-tillage approaches, the reintroduction of animals to pastures, and many more. These approaches help build soil health, improve water retention and reduce erosion while creating a more diverse and resilient system. Benefits of regenerative agriculture include an increase in soil health, improved water retention and fertility, increased biodiversity, carbon sequestration, improved air, and water quality, increased economic returns for farmers, long-term profitability, and sustainability. Regenerative agriculture also has numerous benefits to the environment as it reduces or eliminates the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, conserving water, and reduces or eliminates soil erosion. By taking a holistic approach to farming, regenerative agriculture can help ensure our land is healthy for generations to come.

REGENERATIVELY FARMED ORGANIC GREAT NORTHERN BEANS

The Great Northern White Bean was given its name due to the fact that it can thrive in the harshest conditions. As part of the white bean family, Great Northern was grown in the Americas before Europeans arrived. They are thought to have been originally grown by the Mandan Indians of the Dakotas. Shortly after the discovery of the new world the bean started finding its way to South America and Europe. Spanish explorers brought these beans back home when returning from their voyages to the New World and also helped introduce these beans to Africa through trade. We are proud to be offering you these organic and regeneratively farmed beans which are good for you and the planet. 

WHAT TO COOK WITH GREAT NORTHERN BEANS

With their subtle flavor and creamy texture they are an excellent choice for any recipe that calls for white beans. They are a good substitute for Navy and Cannellini beans. They are excellent in our Tuscan White Bean Toast, and of course who doesn't love a white bean chili. For busy week nights or weekend gatherings try this marinated white bean and tomato salad.

JACOB'S CATTLE BEANS

Jacob's Cattle, also known as the trout bean or Appaloosa bean, is known for its ability to hold its shape in addition to its beautiful white and reddish-brown speckles said to resemble the markings of a spotted calf. This delicious heirloom bean is an ingredient in the Slow Food Ark of Taste that has been around since colonial times, originating in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. The Passamaquoddy people of Maine are said to have presented some of these beans to Joseph Clark, the first Caucasian child born in Lubec, Maine. The flavor is described as fruity, rich, and nutty with a dense and meaty texture. It's great for soups and stews since it can hold its shape well under long cooking times, even with heavy seasoning.

WHAT TO COOK WITH JACOBS CATTLE BEANS

 We love this bean in just about everything. It's so tasty just on it's own with a bit of salt you really don't have to do much to it at all. It's quite versatile and goes equally well as baked beans as it does in a hearty bowl of chili or our parmesan, rosemary soup. 

ABOUT THE FARMER

Small Town Specialties is a family owned and operated business. Allen and Kendral are passionate about bringing you Non GMO, and Gluten-free products directly from their farm.  What started with just a handful of beans, years later has turned into a flourishing crop.

FAT RED HOMINY

Mohawk Red Corn, sometimes called Mohawk Red Bread Corn, is one of the rarest and oldest corn varieties still in existence. In 2016, Rowen White, a renowned seed keeper, farmer, educator, and member of Mohawk Akwesasne tribal community brought the last known cob of Mohawk Red to the Native American Seed Sanctuary in the Hudson Valley where it was grown in hopes that it could be not only saved from extinction but rematriated to its ancestral land. In the Haudenosaunee (Mohawk) tradition, Corn Mother is a female spirit and all seeds belong to her. Corn was so much more than food, it was linked to traditions and rites of passage central to the community. The Mohawk Red was used to create ceremonial wedding cornbread. Today there are just a handful of small farms growing this special corn.

Mohawk chef, Dave Smoke McCluskey crafts hardwood ash washed hominy from this rare, ancestral corn in small batches to create his Fat Red Hominy. It's hard not to instantly think of the best Pozole you've ever had when you open the bag. The aroma is simply incredible. Chef Dave uses the techniques of his ancestors and the instincts of a chef in his unique Nixtamalization process which makes the hominy not only  more nutritious, it creates an intense corn flavor with a whisper of smoke. 

ABOUT CORN MAFIA

Once upon a pandemic a Mohawk chef found a new calling and the results are irresistible. Chef Dave Smoke McCluskey, founder of Corn Mafia closed his restaurant to pursue his passion for the most important of all indigenous ingredients, corn. These corns or O:nenhste as they say in Mohawk, are sourced from landrace, Indigenous farmed or organic sources.

He fire roasts his hominy after washing it to give it a signature taste of the past. Some people think Indigenous foods are or were bland. These products are meant to act as a foil to such unadventurous thoughts. What’s old is new, what’s old will never leave us.

TRADITIONAL POZOLE ROJO

Pozole rojo (or red pozole) is a beloved Mexican soup that has been enjoyed for centuries. This traditional recipe from Chef Dave Smoke McCluskey serves up a taste of the past with heirloom corn that has been nixtamalized with wood ash, lending the stew deep and complex flavors with a hint of smoke. This is a pozole for real pozole fanatics featuring a rich home made pork broth with scorched onions, and toasted whole chilis that compliments, rather than overwhelms, the taste of the corn which is truly the star. GET THE RECIPE

 

ORGANIC OLD INDIAN WOMAN BEANS

We're so excited to have Old Indian Woman, also known as Yellow Indian Woman beans. Years ago we had some from Rancho Gordo (which he started calling Buckeye Beans) but they were not organic so this is an even more special treat. These are some of the most silky, delicious beans you'll find. The flavor is devine but it's that texture that brings everyone back.  My favorite thing to do with these beans is to simply cook them with salt and pepper and a thick slice of lemon peel, then finish with some olive oil (it's even better with this Enzo Lemon Olive Oil). These are maybe the best beans ever for a simple pot of beans or a soup. We are hoping to get more for the store.

 

ABOUT THE  FARMER

Fifth Crow Farms is an organic family owned farm in Pescadero, California. Grounded in a values-based approach to land stewardship, Fifth Crow Farm is a dynamic and diversified organic farm in Pescadero, CA. Founded in 2008 with a shoestring budget, a supportive local community, and ambitious dreams, they strive to bring eaters the highest quality, best tasting, and most nutritious food possible. 

Fifth Crow Farm wants their farm to be more than a business: they strive to make it an engine for positive change in the food system. They are stewarding the land in a way that not only respects but improves habitat for wildlife and builds better soil for future farmers. They also believe in creating a healthy, fulfilling, and fair work environment, and providing their customers with the best tasting, most nutritious, highest quality food possible.

ORGANIC SANGRE DE TORO BEANS

These rare, long, flat beans are named "bulls blood" from their deep red hue. Usually found in kitchens throughout Latin America, the color adds a greater amount of antioxidants when compared to other beans from the area. The skin thins when cooked and almost melts in your mouth. Sangre de Toro beans are dense but without starch, a perfect pantry staple. 

WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

Use these in any recipe that calls for red beans. One of my new favorite recipes is our take on red beans and rice. This 100% vegan version of the cajun classic will fool even the most ardent meat eaters! It's been tested and approved by our Baton Rouge taste testers. We're ditching the traditional ham and sausage and replacing it with umami filled kombu. The natural glutamates in the kombu enhances the flavors of the dish like mother nature's MSG and the umami mimics the meat products nobody will ever miss them. All the flavor, none of the carcinogenic meat products. Did you know that the World Health Organization recently categorized bacon and sausage as carcinogens?