Heirlooms... not just old treasured objects!

I'm definitely not here to talk about the kind of heirlooms passed down from generation to generation in a family.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good antique item that represents the personal history of those who came before us.  It's pretty awesome, to be quite honest.

Yet, these days, I find I get a bigger kick out of the heirlooms I find at the grocery store.  If you consider yourself a true foodie,  you undoubtedly know what I'm talking about.  The latest issue of my Cooking Light subscription dedicated an entire issue to these beauties! Heirloom varietals of almost every kind of fruit and vegetable exist today, and are definitely growing in popularity.  Granted, this special type of produce is less abundant and slightly more expensive than the typical varietals, but they are well worth experiencing for yourself!

Now, I LOVE tomatoes!  The health benefits of tomatoes alone should persuade you to add them to your diet.  What's sad is that more often than not, the taste of a generic tomato falls flat.  I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed with the tomato crop at my local stores, especially when tomatoes aren't in season.  Don't get me started on those that are served at chain restaurants!  It's disgraceful.  I am picky about my produce, and a bad tomato is very bad!

When I happen upon the perfectly ripe, juicy, and slightly sweet tomato, I tend to rave about it!  My husband knows this.  So, when we spotted packs of heirloom tomatoes at Costco, I couldn't believe my eyes!  I immediately grabbed a pack with a lovely yellow, purple, and a few other varieties of red tomatoes in it.  What a treat :-)

Slices of deep red/purple tomatoes and bright yellow tomatoes... molto bene!

I must say, it will be difficult to go back to buying the ordinary tomatoes.  The vibrant flavors to be experienced with just one bite of an heirloom tomato is unlike anything else, and each color has a slightly different flavor (my favorite was the yellow one!).  There are no words to describe their deliciousness.  You simply must go out and buy some of these yourself.  If you are a professed tomato hater, I will bet that you have yet to try a really good one.  You won't know how a real tomato is supposed to taste until you do :-)

While tasty on their own, they are fabulous with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette!

Savor fresh produce this Summer :-)

Librarian turned Foodie

Homemade Baked Beans!

Spring has finally found us here in Minnesota!  If you reside in the Midwest, I am sure that like me, you are more than ready to put away the crockpot and clean off that grill :-)  I love the sweet smell of strawberries and melons, and the brightly colored peppers, zucchini, and asparagus that overwhelm my senses when I enter the local supermarkets right now.  The fresh flavors of Springtime make me extremely excited to venture back into the kitchen armed with my favorite Springtime recipes, and some new ones I've dog-eared in my foodie magazines.  It's going to be a fantastic season for cooking!

As time goes by, I have become more and more fond of beans as a source of  good-for-you protein and fiber.  My husband and I have been enjoying many more meatless meals over the past year, and many of these meals have featured beans.  We adore black beans, but have cooked with just about every kind of bean out there and found them an extremely rich and satisfying addition to our diet.  To tell you the truth, I don't really miss eating meat all that much when I have beans as a substitute.

The recipe I have for you today is one I made last year, but didn't write about at the time.  Now that I've eaten my first burger of the year, I have begun craving baked beans... yes, baked beans!  The best baked beans I ever had came from my mother's kitchen.  They are what I would call a somewhat "high maintenance" recipe... they take time, patience, and a lot of love throughout the cooking process.  Which is why my mom made them so infrequently when I was growing up.  Nevertheless, I feel it is my duty to pass on this recipe to all of you so that you can fall in love with real baked beans.  After having these, you won't go back to the Bush's variety, I promise!  Bush's has nothing on these babies!

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Homemade Baked Beans

Ingredients:

2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained (you could buy dry beans and pre-cook them if you don't mind the extra work)
1

T. olive oil

1 medium onion

4 T. blackstrap molasses

¼ c. apple cider vinegar

2 T. maple syrup

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. spicy brown mustard

2 T. ketchup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat.  

Turn off the heat and add the molasses, vinegar, maple syrup, sugar, mustard, and ketchup to the pan and stir to combine.  

Rinse and drain the beans and pour them into a large oven-safe casserole dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour the onion/molasses mixture over the beans and stir until evenly coated.  

Cover the casserole dish and bake for 2 hours, stirring the beans after the first 60 minutes, and every 30 minutes after that.

Serve hot!

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When they are done cooking, these beans maintain a somewhat firm texture, unlike most canned varieties that tend to be mushy and soupy.  The molasses adds a lovely rich and smoky flavor, and the maple syrup and brown sugar add the perfect amount of sweetness that is balanced by the vinegar and mustard.  Serve these alongside almost any kind of meat and they will be a hit!

Note: If you prefer your baked beans on the saucier side, don't fret, just increase the amount of sauce you pour over the beans :-) Double or triple this recipe to feed your next cookout crowd and enjoy the rave reviews you'll receive!



Librarian turned Foodie