Xculibul Beans

Product ID: 00054-100

MSRP: $5.95

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Do you remember the time when just having black beans to choose seemed new and exciting? I remember thinking they were so exotic compared to pintos and Great Northerns. Now, we have dozens of black bean varieties and each one is a little different. The Xculibul beans come from the state of Yucatan in Mexico, right near the border of Quintana Roo. I had them in a classic dish called Frijol con Puerco but they’d be great on their own. They have a rich, dense texture (that I find requires a little more time to cook) and a super chocolate-like broth.

Of course you don’t need to cook Yucatan cuisine to enjoy them but if you do, it would be a shame to use ordinary black beans instead of these authentic legumes from the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project. Your cochinta pibil will thank you, as will your Guajalote en escabeche. They’ve made the best bean fro refried beans I’ve found so far.

Dense and intense, the beans would be great in soups, salads, on their own or in recipes. The bean broth has a slight chocolate taste. You can up the ante by adding a teaspoonful of our Mexican chocolate once the beans are cooked. But just a little!
My favorite way to eat them is plain, with some cooked cactus paddles and requeson cheese.

Classic Cassoulet Bean

Product ID: 00054-97

MSRP: $5.95

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Is it marketing or is it history? Some would argue that a cassoulet isn’t a cassoulet without Tarbais beans. There are many more interesting arguments to be had but we think once you taste these, you’ll agree 100% that it’s a great bean and ideally suited to the slow cooked goodness of a cassoulet. All the various meats and seasonings mingle with the mild but sturdy beans and with a little effort, you have one of the classic dishes of soutwest France.

Rather than suffer French prices, which can run up to $30 a pound when out of season, we took seed from France and produced this bean with our distinct terroir here in California. Tarbais beans were developed by generations of farmers in Tarbais, France. The orginal seed is a New World runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus) and most likely orginated in Mexico. Out of respect for the French farmers and terroir, we’re calling the bean Cassoulet Bean. We think in order to call it Tarbais, it should be grown in southwestern France.

We’re incredibly excited to introduce you to these beans. Of all the beans we get requests for, it seems shoppers and cooks are most frustrated by the lack of Tarbais.

You can follow the classic rules (and we recommend Paula Wolfert’s glorious The Cooking of Southwest France : Recipes from France’s Magnificent Rustic Cuisine) or you can experiment and be creative. A casserole of cassoulet beans with odds and ends from your refrigerator and larder, topped with good bread crumbs and dotted with butter before a trip to the oven would be a welcome dish on a winter’s table.

From baked beans, to salads, to soups, there’s hardly a dish that couldn’t benefit from these beans. They have a thin skin but still manage to hold their shape making them ideal for salads. A simple bowl with roasted tomatoes and garlic would be incredible.

Negro de Arbol Beans

Product ID: 00054-94

MSRP: $5.95

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There was a day when a simple black bean seemed like something exotic compared to pintos, limas and lentils. Now we know that there are dozens of black bean varieties, all with subtle differences. Our Negro de Arbol are creamy and dense with a rich, dark bean broth. Their creaminess makes them ideal whenever you want a classic turtle bean but their denseness makes them an excellent candidate for chilis and even an unusual baked bean.

Del Arbol refers to their growing pattern, which in this case, is like a tree. The beans are small and black when raw. They don’t expand a lot when cooked but they do turn a beautiful shade of very dark brown and they exude a dreamy bean broth.

In Oaxaca, you’d flavor them with particular avocado leaves, which are hard to find here and our Hass avocados have flavorless leaves. In Veracruz and other parts of Mexico, fresh epazote is a classic flavoring. Not the same thing but equally as delicious is our Oregano Indio which imparts a nice earthy flavor. You can skip the herbs altogether and simply enjoy a bowl on their own.

Our production is limited. The growers of the beans are the same growers who are helping us develop a program of Oaxacan chiles that we’re hoping to import. If you’ve traveled in Oaxaca, you know the chiles, beans and corn are all very different than similar varieties found in other parts of Mexico. I always think eating in Oaxaca is like being in Bologna, Italy. It’s the same country but somehow the food is even richer and more wonderful.

Enjoy Negro del Arbol as a simple pot bean, in chilis and stews, in chilaquiles and enfrijoladas and the superior bean broth makes them a great choice in soups and sauces. They don’t fall apart easily so they’d also be a fine candidate for the salad bar.

Large White Limas

Product ID: 00054-91

MSRP: $5.95

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A lot of us grew up hating lima beans. A lot of us have changed our minds about a lot of things since being six years old! Lima are rich and have a particular vegetable taste that other beans don’t have. A whole bowl of them might be a little rich but one of the best restaurants here in Napa serves them swimming in their best olive oil and heavily dusted with good Parmesan cheese. Works for me!

Sometimes called “butter beans”, (actually only baby limas are considered butter beans to most southerners), they don’t have a buttery flavor, but adding butter can be a fine idea.

Use the on their own or an ingredient in soups or stews, pureed as a dip or perhaps best in a bowl of Southern style succotash, mixing lima beans with some great summer vegetables.

Rebosero Bean

Product ID: 00054-88

MSRP: $5.95

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In Mexico, a rebozo is a shawl, often worn with panache by Mexico’s lovlier residents. Perhaps if you were totally drunk you might think these pretty beans resemble a shawl, but who knows? Who cares? It’s fun to say the word rebozo and it’s more fun to eat these delicious beans. They have a rich bean broth and can be used in place of any traditional Mexican bean in recipes, especially refried beans.

THE RANCHO GORDO-XOXOC PROJECT
These beans are the results of our two companies working together to help small farmers continue to grow their indigenous beans in Mexico, despite international trade policies that seem to discourage genetic diversity and local food traditions.

These rare beans are grown using centuries-old methods and may contain small pebbles or other natural debris. Please clean them thoroughly before cooking!

Product of Mexico. These regional beans were grown by small farmers in the state of Hidalgo under the supervision of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxox Project.

Alubia Blanca de San Jose Iturbide

Product ID: 00054-85

MSRP: $5.95

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Classic Alubia beans are one of our more requested items. You can use them in all kinds of cooking, from Mexican to Tuscan to even classic Yankee baked beans. My favorite thing to do with these delicate legumes is top off a piece of grilled Tuscan bread, drizzled with fruity, green olive oil, chopped sage and grated dry cheese, making an Italian “beans on toast”.

Years ago, we grew a lovely bean called Marrow, but too many seasons of crop failure forced us to “retire” it, but these Alubias come very close that Marrow flavor and texture.

These rare beans are grown using centuries-old methods and may contain small pebbles or other natural debris. Please clean them thoroughly before cooking!

Product of Mexico. These regional beans were grown by small farmers in the state of Guanajuato under the supervision of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxox Project.

Sangre de Toro Bean

Product ID: 00054-82

MSRP: $5.95

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A classic red bean from the heart of Mexico. Whether it’s New Orleans red beans and rice, chili or just a bowl of beans, I think Sangre de Toro (or “Bull’s Blood”) is a tremendous bean.

Dense and meaty, it has a good pot liquor and can be used whenever red beans are called for.

Suggestions: Salads, chili, red beans and rice, soups.

You can use it in Southern dishes as well as in Caribbean and Central American meals.

THE RANCHO GORDO-XOXOC PROJECT
These beans are the results of our two companies working together to help small farmers continue to grow their indigenous beans in Mexico, despite international trade policies that seem to discourage genetic diversity and local food traditions.

These rare beans are grown using centuries-old methods and may contain small pebbles or other natural debris. Please clean them thoroughly before cooking!

Flor de Junio: Silvia 2013

Product ID: 00054-79

MSRP: $5.95

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SUPER LIMITED AND SUPER WONDERFUL! Flor de Junio (or June Flower) are one of the most sought after beans in Michoacan, a state that knows its beans. Both Flor de Mayo (with its decorative spots) and Flor de Junio (with its decorative pink swirls) are preferred over pintos and blacks. I think the food in the region is second to none, especially if you can find some traditional Purepecha indigenous dishes.

The bean itself stays whole but you bite into and it seems to melt in your both with creamy bean goodness. And yet it’s as light as the wings of a migrating Monarch butterfly! (They go down to Michoacan, you know.)

The problem with these beans is that they don’t age well. In fact, they become rather pedestrian (and dark) after about a year under optimal circumstances and even less if stored haphazardly. This crop came out of the ground July 2013 and if you store it in a dark cool pantry will be fine for awhile but we have a limited amount so we not think of the Flor de Junio like Nouveau Beaujolais, ramps, figs or some other seasonal treat. Enjoy them now while you can!

These come from a farmer in Guanajuato and once they’re gone, that’s it. This variety is called “Silvia”.

Ayocote Negro (Black Runner) Beans

Product ID: 00054-76

MSRP: $5.95

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For some reason, ayocote beans fell out of favor with most Mexicans. They were an important pre-conquest crop, they are beautiful and they’ve got a supreme meaty goodness about them that’s hard to resist. I see them in the markets but I can’t remember ever having been served ayocotes of any color in Mexico. It’s a shame!
Nothing makes me roll my eyes like hearing a farmers market customers say, “They look too pretty to eat!” but I do understand perhaps buying Ayocote Negro just for their incredible looks. Just don’t tell anyone.

You can use Ayocotes like any runner bean. In Mexico you’d serve them in a savory stew with chiles and leftovers, but don’t forget them in salads, with lots of wild mushrooms, as refried beans, as a simple side dish and of course on their own. Personally, I love them plain, drizzled with my fruitiest olive oil and a dusting of good dry cheese. That’s what I call heaven. These beans are huge.

If you should decide to plant a few, you’ll find the white flowers edible and a distinct treat in their own right.

These rare beans are grown using centuries-old methods and may contain small pebbles or other natural debris. Please clean them thoroughly before cooking!

Product of Mexico. These regional beans were grown by small farmers in the state of Puebla under the supervision of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxox Project.

Ayocote Blanco (White Runner) Beans

Product ID: 00054-73

MSRP: $5.95

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Sometimes these are referred to as Alubia (or Alubia Criollo), which isn’t a very precise word in Spanish. I tend to think of smallish white beans, but here it refers to a medium-sized runner bean. And like our elusive Runner Cannellini, it’s has a rich, potato flavor and creamy, over-the-moon texture.

Because it’s a runner bean (Phaselous coccineus), it can hold its own with some rough cooking, so go ahead and use them in cassoulet or salads. They won’t fall apart easily and yet they’re soft and creamy.

You can use Ayocote Blanco beans in almost any European dish, from pasta fazool to white beans and clams (with bacon or chorizo). They’d be my first choice for cassoulet but a simple dish with roasted heirloom tomatoes and garlic sounds pretty swell to me.

If you’re passionate about Mexican food, try them in an ancho chile sauce as a side dish, or as another ingredient in a pipian verde.

Other suggestions: salads, soups, stews, chilis.

These rare beans are grown using centuries-old methods and may contain small pebbles or other natural debris. Please clean them thoroughly before cooking!

Product of Mexico. These regional beans were grown by small farmers in the state of Hidalgo under the supervision of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxox Project.

Moro Beans

Product ID: 00054-67

MSRP: $5.95

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I first saw this bean being sold in Cholula, but it was all grey, with none of the exotic purple coloring. They called it Parraleño, which is confusing because there’s another bean with that name in nearby Hidalgo. I prefer the name Moro (as in “Moorish”) as the markings and colors evoke something grand.

As lovely as the markings are, it’s the taste of Moro that makes it worthy of a place in your kitchen. The beans stay whole and offer their rich, tasty bean broth with no trouble. The skin is thin yet the bean is dense without being starchy. Almost fudge-like. We thought it might be more like a black bean, but it isn’t. Once cooked, it’s in the vague and versatile “kidney” family.

Suggested uses: in salads, on their own, baked or most anyway you like.

These rare beans are grown using centuries-old methods and may contain small pebbles or other natural debris. Please clean them thoroughly before cooking!

Product of Mexico. These regional beans were grown by small farmers in the state of Hidalgo under the supervision of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxox Project.

San Franciscano Beans

Product ID: 00054-64

MSRP: $5.95

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From the state of Hidalgo (and sometimes seen in Puebla), these lilac and black marked beans are probably a very near cousin to what we’ve grown as Rio Zape. Like Rio Zape, they have a luxurious pot liquor (bean broth) with hints of coffee and chocolate. San Franciscanos have a sturdier skin, making them more versatile and usuable in salads and composed dishes as well.

You can use them in chilis, soups, salads and stews but I think the best way to enjoy them is plain, and pass around the salsas and garnishes like grilled onions, grilled cactus paddles, limes, Mexican oregano and fresh cheese.

Is there a prettier bean? I don’t think you should waste your time thinking about it. The answer is no! Like all the beans in the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project, supplies are somewhat limited.

These rare beans are grown using centuries-old methods and may contain small pebbles or other natural debris. Please clean them thoroughly before cooking!

Product of Mexico. These regional beans were grown by small farmers in the state of Hidalgo under the supervision of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxox Project.

Ayocote Morado Beans (Purple Runners)

Product ID: 00054-61

MSRP: $5.95

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Runner beans are known to be one of the oldest cultivated crops from the Americas. These big beautiful beans are great with loads of garlic and wild mushrooms or just as part of a mixed salad. In Mexico, you find them served with a chile sauce or in a soup, but in Europe, you might see them drowned in good fruity olive oil and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice and a dusting of sea salt.

Ayocote Morado are a cousin to the more famous Scarlet Runner and can be used anyplace a runner bean is called for. These beans are big and creamy but the pot liquor (or “caldo”) is thin and flavorful, almost like a boullion. They cook up tan in color, so save a few of them to remember their lovely lilac coloring when raw!

These rare beans are grown using centuries-old methods and may contain small pebbles or other natural debris. Please clean them thoroughly before cooking!

Product of Mexico. These regional beans were grown by small farmers in the state of Hidalgo under the supervision of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxox Project.

Cranberry Bean- Cargamanto

Product ID: 00054-58

MSRP: $5.95

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Cranberry beans don’t taste like cranberries, they only look like cranberries. And even then, I don’t quite see it. Originally from Colombia, these beans have been bred around the world and have become Madeira, Borlotti, Tounges of Fire, Wren’s Egg and many more. The Cacahuate is the classic from Colombia and are perfect for any recipe calling for a “cranberry” bean.

Similar to Borlotti, Cranberry beans are very thin-skinned with a velvety texture, making them ideal for soups, stews and even refried beans.

A favorite staff meal here at Rancho Gordo is a bowl of cranmbeery beans with poached chicken pieces, drizzled with your best fruity olive oil. Simple and sublime!

Classic Garbanzo Beans

Product ID: 00054-55

MSRP: $5.95

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Not a true “new world” bean but we love them so much and the crops we get imported tend to be so old dusty that we make this one of our California crops.

Obviously they’re classic for hummus and as a key ingredients in a green salad, but they’re great in soups, too.

For salads, try skipping the lettuce and go for the crunch. Celery, carrots, onions, garbanzos (chick peas) and your favorite dressing make for a great salad.

Suggested uses:
Hummus, soups, puree, snacks.

Midnight Black Bean

Product ID: 00054-52

MSRP: $5.95

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Midnight is a true black turtle bean with a rich, traditional black bean flavor and texture, unlike our Black Valentine, which is a wonderful black bean, but it’s more in the kidney bean family.

Use in any recipe calling for black or turtle beans or just enjoy on their own. These are incredibly fresh so little, if any, soaking is required.

Suggested uses:
Chili, pot beans, salads, Brazilian fejoida, stews.

Yellow Eye Beans

Product ID: 00054-49

MSRP: $5.95

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Unlike Navy beans, which have a slightly gummy, babyfood texture, Yellow Eyes are dense, creamy and delicious. Great Northerns can be plain boring. Replace Navys or Great Northerns with Yellow Eyes and your dish becomes a feast.

You can have them on their own or use them with a smoked ham hock. I don’t think there’s a better bean for Senate Navy Bean Soup. Also excellent for a simple vegetarian soups.

These beans look a lot like Butterscotch Calypso beans but the flavor and texture is very different. The Calypsos have a distinct russet potato flavor. Yellow Eyes have a creamier “chowder” taste and texture

Vaquero Beans

Product ID: 00054-46

MSRP: $5.95

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A really lovely cousin to the Anasazi bean, Vaquero have intriguing black and white markings, not unlike an appaloosa horse might don. The flavor is somewhat like the Anasazi but it’s a little lighter. The real fun is the inky, black pot liquor. It looks cool and tastes great.

Destined to be a new favorite.

Vaquero are a cousin to the Anasazi beans. They are also known as Orca beans but there are several beans known as Orca. Vaquero really look like horses more than whales!
Suggestions: Pot beans, chili, stews

Pinto

Product ID: 00054-43

MSRP: $5.95

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The poor pinto doesn’t get the respect it deserves. With all of its glamorous cousins hanging around, it’s hard to grab a little of the spotlight, until someone wisely cooks them up. If you’ve been served supermarket pintos all your life, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Pintos can be great! Especially when they’re as fresh as ours.

You can use them in all kinds of Latin and Mexican cooking, from pot beans to refried beans. Our local Black Muslim Bakery used to make a mean Pinto Bean Pie and that sounds pretty good about now.

Christmas Lima Bean

Product ID: 00054-40

MSRP: $5.95

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Christmas Limas are an intriguing variation on the traditional Lima. In Italy, you’ll find them as “Fagioli del Papa”, or “Pope’s beans”. Also known stateside as “Chestnut Lima”.

A true lima bean, originally from Peru (hence Lima), this gorgeous bean has all the “meat” of limas but with a chestnut flavor. They’re big and bold and can stand up to a chile sauce or curry or simply be enjoyed with a drizzle of olive oil and a few grates of dry goat cheese. One of my most successful inventions was cooked Christmas Limas in a gorgonzola sauce. I still swoon a little when I think about this dish!

If you grew up thinking you hated limas, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try.

Suggestions: Side dish, curry, mixed with wild mushrooms, soup ingredient.

This is one of those beans that would be great with tons of garlic and sautéed wild mushrooms!

Mayocoba Bean – Peruano

Product ID: 00054-36

MSRP: $5.95

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A classic bean from Peru, the Mayocoba is also known as Canario or Peruano. It’s a small but meaty thin-skinned bean that will take on all the flavors you can throw at it but still hold its shape. Great as a substitute for Cannellini or great Northern beans but unique in its own right.

Suggestions:
Pot beans, chiles, salads, stews

Santa Maria Pinquito Bean

Product ID: 00054-30

MSRP: $5.95

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A very small, chili-type bean that is loaded with California history. Most of us thought the Santa Maria “Pinks” were brought in with the migrant citrus workers of the 1950s (who also introduced us to the tri-tip) but now there’s some thought that it was a crop during the Mission era. Whatever its origins, it’s delicious and meaty and the perfect match for any barbecue, chili or even salad.

Classic Santa Maria county barbecues include the pinquitos and a beef tri-tip. The meat is somewhat simple and all sorts of ingredients go into the beans. We tend to think it should be the other way around. These beans don’t need doctoring up! Just some onions, garlic a little fat and your pot of beans is ready for summer, and beyond.

Sta Maria Pinquitos have a superior pot liquor and stay somewhat firm. Ideal for chilis, barbecues or for “borrachos”, or dunken beans. Don’t forget them for salads!

Tepary Bean (White)

Product ID: 00054-27

MSRP: $5.95

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Can a bean be romantic? We think so! Teparies are indigenous to North America and were developed by Native Americans to be drought-tolerant. Higher in protein and fiber than other beans (which are already super foods), what more can you ask for in food? Flavor and texture? You got it! The small beans plump up a bit but keep a meaty, dense texture. Can you tell we’re smitten?

The beans are savory but the white version tends to be slightly sweet.

Tepary beans look like lentils but they have nothing in common with lentils other than their small, compact size. In fact, they take as long to cook as an average-sized bean.

Really a splendid bean worth discovering.

Suggestions: Pot beans, chiles, salads, stews, puree, baked beans, cassoulet

Tepary Bean (Brown)

Product ID: 00054-23

MSRP: $5.95

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The beans are savory but the white version tends to be slightly sweet.

Tepary beans look like lentils but they have nothing in common with lentils other than their small, compact size. In fact, they take as long to cook as an average-sized bean.

Really a splendid bean worth discovering.

Suggestions: Pot beans, chiles, salads, stews, puree, baked beans, cassoulet

Scarlet Runner Bean

Product ID: 00054-18

MSRP: $5.95

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Scarlet Runners are one of the oldest cultivated foods of the New World! From the heart of Oaxaca, these big fat beans are less starchy than Limas but more substantial than other Runner beans. They are one of the more versatile beans but we like to serve them with lots of wild mushrooms and slightly too much roasted garlic for a meaty treat- vegetarian style! Runner beans are best soaked from 6 to 8 hours before cooking.

If you grow them, you’ll fall in love with their cheap, 1950s lipstick-colored flowers, which are edible. The hummingbirds love them and they’re so pretty, some people grow Scarlet Runners for just their flowers. The beans are firm and stay whole but you can keep cooking them and they’ll go from starchy to creamy. Despite their thick skin, the exude a beautiful bean broth that needs little help to be enjoyed.

Use Scarlet Runners in salads, soups, stews, or as a savory side dish. We love them with wild mushrooms, garlic and sage but they’re very versatile and can fit into any of your kitchen plans.

Yellow Indian Woman Bean

Product ID: 00054-15

MSRP: $5.95

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What a great bean this is! At the farmers markets, this is the bean that seems to attract more people than any other. Whether it’s the name, the beautiful gold color or small, bullet size, who can say? The good news is that the bean is as delicious as it looks. It’s quick growing and unique tasting. I’ve heard that in some areas they’re called Buckeye but for most of us, they’ll always be Yellow Indian Woman.

Yellow Indian Woman is incredibly creamy, almost more like a classic black turtle bean than anything else. It’s dense without being intense, if that makes sense.

Said to be originally from Montana.

Cook them with a simple mix of aromatic vegetables (celery, carrot, onion, garlic), a little olive oil and a bay leaf for an incredible pot of beans. Use the beans is salads, chilis or even as a spread.

They won’t fall apart so you could even use them in classic baked beans if that’s your desire.

Florida Butter Bean

Product ID: 00054-12

MSRP: $5.95

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This heirloom baby lima is also known as Calico Pole. Its small size and delicious flavor make it an obvious ingredient in a minestrone or mixed vegetable soup, but it also stands out as a delicious side dish.

If you are one of the many who grew up with a distinct disliking of limas, you owe to yourself to try these dried, heirloom varieties. They really are different and they’re easy to enjoy

Suggestions: Side dish, curry, mixed with wild mushrooms, traditonal Southern succotash, Yucatan cuisne, soup ingredient.