June 2024 Heirloom Bean and Grain Club

Greetings fellow bean geeks! What's more exciting than unicorns and rainbows? The June bean club box! We are over the moon to announce that the most requested and most beloved bean we've ever had in the club is back! The Organic Arikara Yellow Bean has returned and is joined by the Organic Southwest Gold bean and...drum roll please...Unicorn Cornmeal!  

We have a little secret to tell you. We had hoped to feature the pretty pink unicorn cornmeal in the February box but that illusive non-gmo grain was nowhere to be seen. (Isn't that just like a unicorn?) We get LOTS of emails and requests for it and now you lucky bean club members get first dibs. Enjoy!! 

THE BEAN AND GRAIN BOX CONTAINS:

Organic Arikara Yellow Beans, Organic Southwest Gold Beans and Non-GMO Unicorn Cornmeal

THE BEAN ONLY CONTAINS:

Organic Arikara Yellow Beans, Organic Southwest Gold Beans and Snow Cap Beans

NEW TO THE CLUB?

Check out our blogposts with everything you need to know to get the most out of your membership in the heirloom bean and grain club. 

Welcome To Beantopia

How To Cook A Perfect Pot of Beans

The Definitive Guide To Cooking Beans

Bean Recipes

ORGANIC YELLOW ARIKARA BEANS

The Arikara Yellow heirloom bean is creamy and very flavorful with a hard shell that holds its shape when cooked. They have an unsurpassed flavor that keeps us coming back again and again. Due to drought conditions we were unable to get any last year but lucky you, it rained (and rained and rained) in California last year and there was enough for the locals around Pescadero and YOU! 

This Slow Foods Ark of Taste ingredient has a long cultural history. First documented by Lewis and Clark, these indigenous beans were once the primary food source for American Indian tribes in the Missouri Valley. Thomas Jefferson grew the Arikara Yellow Beans in his own garden at Monticello. There he described it as “one of the most excellent we have had.” Unfortunately after being moved to the Fort Berthold reservation near Bismarck, North Dakota, the Arikara tribe has relatively little land to farm and their beloved yellow bean nearly went extinct. Thankfully seed savers and small scale farmers have saved the Arikara Yellow and a handful of commercial farms are growing it although very few of them are certified organic. We don't know if its the soil, the beans or the love that Blue House Farm puts into growing these gems but they are truly something special.

WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

This is the kind of bean that needs nothing except some salt and a drizzle of olive oil in the pot.  My preferred method for these beans is slow and low on the stovetop, perhaps using the oil braised bean method. We don't like to get in the way of the flavor of the beans much because they are so special but when you are looking to branch out but stay celebrate more indigenous flavors try the Arikara and Green Bean Salad With Feta or the Grilled Three Sisters Salad wtih creamy cilantro avocado dressing. 

ABOUT THE FARM

Blue House Farm grows drop dead gorgeous beans from the gorgeous, fertile land in Pescadero and San Gregorio, California. Ryan Casey became interested in farming in college while taking agriculture courses. After completing an apprenticeship at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and working on several farms, he decided to start an organic farm. The farm started in 2005 on 2 acres and has steadily grown to over 75 acres in production. Farming in two different microclimates allows Blue House Farm to grow over 50 types of certified organic farm products. Among the lettuce, tomatoes, herbs and peppers Blue House Farm grows excellent organic beans. 

ORGANIC SOUTHWEST GOLD BEANS

Southwest Gold is a new heirloom adaptation of the highly sought Zuni Gold (also called Four Corners). Taste testers agree that the Southwest Gold doesn't disappoint on flavor or texture. Grown organically by legendary Ernie's organics in Idaho, we are so excited to offer the new Southwest Gold. 

The Zuni Gold was originally cultivated in the four corners region (Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico) by the Zuni people that were the first inhabitants of the region. It is so iconic and delicious it's recognized in the Slow Food Ark of Taste. Sadly the mosaic virus and drought conditions have made commercial growing almost impossible.  Luckily UC Davis came to the rescue to help preserve the best qualities of this iconic bean but improving the yield and resilience through cross pollination with other bean varieties. They spent years growing and perfecting this adapted heirloom to retain the taste and texture of Zuni Gold and we are happy to say the results are delicious.

CRISPY SOUTHWEST GOLD BEAN CAKES WITH GRILLED CORN RELISH

These crispy heirloom bean cakes are fast and easy to make and they're both vegan and gluten free! They are the perfect vessel for fresh grilled corn relish with okra seed oil. This is not a refrigerator corn relish it's a grilled salad enrobed in the buttery taste of okra seed oil. If you didn't get your hands on the okra seed oil you can substitute olive oil but you'll want to add some white pepper and herbs. 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 cups of cooked Southwest Gold or Peruviana or Old Indian Woman beans, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 clove garlic minced fine
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice (We like the Salsa Morada from Sakari Farms)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 egg beaten 

Corn Relish

• 1 ear of corn shucked and cleaned
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 medium tomato
• 1-2 Tablespoons Okra Seed Oil (if you must substitute with olive oil, add more white pepper and some fresh garden herbs)
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• Salt to taste (recommend Pacific Flake Sea Salt)

GET THE RECIPE

ABOUT THE FARMER

These beans come to us from Primary Beans, a wonderful company that we love working with. They are one of the few exceptions we make in our commitment to work directly with farmers and that's because we have very much aligned missions to support small, local farmers and pay fair prices. These gorgeous organic beans are grown by the regenerative pioneers, Earnies Organics. Earnie's Organics is a charming and thriving organic farm located in the picturesque state of Idaho. Nestled amidst rolling hills and verdant landscapes, this family-owned establishment has been committed to sustainable farming practices since its inception. With a passion for preserving the environment and promoting healthy living, Earnie's Organics specializes in growing organic dry beans with no-till practices. 

ORGANIC UNICORN CORNMEAL

You are in for a treat! We've had so many requests for the Unicorn Cornmeal we finally got it back for a very limited time and you get first dibs! 

This all Non-GMO, heritage cornmeal is naturally pink!  Truly a unicorn. When Greg Johnsman of Marsh Hen Mill (formerly Geechie Boy Mill) found some pink kernels on an ear of his heritage Sea Island Blue Corn, he decided to save the seeds and see if he could make a little magic. Thus Unicorn corn was born. Greg and his amazing team grow this and all of their heirloom grains, peas and grains on their family owned farm on Edisto Island in South Carolina. Greg mills the corn in small batches on his antique milling equipment for the highest quality possible. Old mills work a little slower than modern equipment but that's just what Greg is looking for. He doesn't want the mill to heat up the grain and destroy the natural oils and flavors. Its why cornmeal from Marsh Hen Mill is so special. You might even call it magical!

To enhance the color, add a little lemon or lime to your cooking. We've found that the corn will toast to a brown when introduced to high heat, like in our waffle iron, but the inside will be a beautiful purple-pink. Also the more cornmeal in your recipe, the more vibrant the color will be. In our cornbread which is only half cornmeal, half flour the color is much less pronounced. Have fun experimenting with this delicious cornmeal in all of your cooking!

ABOUT THE FARMER

Greg Johnsman is passionate about preserving traditional Southern foodways on the South Carolina Sea Islands. He and his wife Betsy farm and mill heirloom ingredients at Marsh Hen Mill on Edisto Island, where Betsy's family has farmed for generations.

Greg Johnsman has been milling in his mind for his entire life. As a boy in the upstate he learned the process of milling grits the old-fashioned way from a third-generation miller named Jack Brock.  When he discovered a 1945 mill and separator in Saluda, SC owned by Lamar Berry he needed just the slightest encouragement from Betsy to bring it to their Edisto Island home. The mill is Greg's pride and joy. The antique equipment is slower than modern mills which keeps it from heating up the grain and destroying the natural oils and flavors.