Tag: heirloom beans

Wilson Farm in Lexington MA

I’ve always wanted to visit the Wilson Farms store in Lexington MA. It’s not very far away, but it’s still a little bit of a drive.

Well I was planning to be in the Lexington area yesterday, so I decided it was definitely time to check them out.

The night before, I browsed their web site, looking at their “sale” page. Wow, exciting. Prices look great, but I was a little skeptical. Then I found their growing page – actually their IPM (integrated pest management) page. Perfect!

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a way to control insect pests and diseases on crops by combining several complimentary strategies such as sanitation, soil enrichment, variety selection, pest detection, and biological controls. Chemical pesticides may be used, but only if absolutely necessary.

That’s how I want my food to be grown!

Yes, I know “organic” is supposedly better, but truthfully, I would rather buy from a local farm using sustainable and responsible growing practices like this, than an organic farm in California. Organic does not mean sustainable, especially when referring to the high yield organic farms.

My First Wilson Farm Visit

When you arrive, there is an open area full of produce bins. There are large canopies covering part of the area, but the sun beams in, depending on the time of day. I was concerned about the bin of mozzarella cheese, sitting in direct sunlight. No one thought it was necessary to move it. I wondered how long it was out there and how easily it could spoil.

Anyway, I was a little intimidated as I walked around. There was so much to take in. I felt like a newbie, slowly wandering around, pushing my grocery cart, looking in amazement at the bins of fresh produce. I was in heaven!

So, all their farm fresh produce is located outdoors. Every kind of tomato you could possibly imagine…including lots of heirloom varieties. A whole outdoor wall/bin of many varieties of apples, some local, some further away, in PA.

I also loved that they offered some of the more unusual produce, like purple carrots! You do not find those at the local grocery or even at Whole Foods stores!

After browsing outside, I walked into their large indoor area as well. They offer cheese, meats (hormone-antibiotic free), seafood, baked goods, lots of locally produced foods along with a wall of their own fresh-made packaged convenience foods, like soups, salads, meats, etc.

When you first walk in, under the potatoes/onions, that’s where I found the bags of Baer’s Best Heirloom beans. I heard about Baer’s Beans when I became interested in learning more about heirloom bean growers. I learned there aren’t any local growers….except Baer! How sad!

So, I looked at all of the varieties, and it was a tough choice between Jacob’s Cattle and Vermont Cranberry. I chose Jacob’s Cattle. They looked interesting (loved the color, too bad it doesn’t stay after cooking) and truthfully, the bag was a buck cheaper than the VT Cranberry, so frugality won out. I figure I’ll be back for more, so they’ll be plenty of time to try more varieties!

The one favorite thing about Wilson Farm is EVERYTHING is specifically marked where it’s from, which I appreciated. You knew right away if it was grown on their farm, or another farm in MA or in California.

Note: I’m trying to boycott any produce from Florida since I heard about their poor soil conditions, which necessitate using harmful pesticides and other chemicals PLUS more importantly the horrific treatment of their employees. I will never knowingly purchase a Florida tomato, so it’s nice to see specifically which state/area my produce is coming from.

There are lots of employees busily buzzing inside and outside, stocking shelves and bins with fresh produce and freshly prepared foods. It’s a friendly homey store! If you have a question, there is always someone close by to help. I was looking for fresh-made ricotta cheese, and couldn’t find it in the cheese shop; a helpful employee pointed me to the dairy department where she said she stocked the fresh ricotta.

So it was a very exciting, fun visit to Wilson Farm yesterday! I will certainly return.

What Did I Buy?

  • A big box o’ tomatoes – $5.99 – got home and weighed it, over 7 pounds. That’s under a dollar a pound. Perfect for roasting for tomato sauce!
  • Ginger Gold apples (local MA) – 1.1 lb for $1.64
  • Gala Apples (I think from PA – 1.2 for $2.31
  • Honeycrisp Apples (MA) – .71 lb for $1.41
  • Butternut Squash (their own) 2.13 lb for $2.11
  • Various shell beans (their own) – cranberry, fava & romano .90 lb for $2.69
  • 1 Sweet potato & 1 AP potato – $1.84
  • Baer’s Best Jacobs Cattle Beans – 1 lb bag for $4.59
  • Fresh Ricotta cheese – small container $3.89 ($4.99 lb)

Looking forward to autumn veggies, like potatoes, leeks, squash, fennel, lettuces, etc. Life is good!

Note: Wilson Farm is located at 10 Pleasant Street in Lexington MA

Heirloom Beans Rancho Gordo Cookbook Review

Book review: Heirloom Beans: Great Recipes for Dips and Spreads, Soups and Stews, Salads and Salsas, and Much More from Rancho Gordo

I’m really loving cooking my own beans! And I’ve been learning more about wonderful heirloom beans. There’s a well-known highly regarded California heirloom bean company named Rancho Gordo. They sell their beans locally at farmer’s markets as well as through online orders.

It got me thinking about finding my own local stash of heirloom beans and I think I did find one! Baer’s Best Beans is one of the last heirloom bean growers in Massachusetts.

But anyway, I digress. This post is a review of the Rancho Gordo heirloom bean cookbook!

I think what really opened my eyes wider to how little Americans really know and understand about food was what he wrote in his Introduction. The author, Steve Sando opens with the line “Are these beans vegetarian?” and proceeds to tell the story of a woman who actually asked him that question (presumably at a Farmer’s Market). He thought he misunderstood her, that perhaps she meant to ask if the beans were organic. Nope, she wanted to know if they had “no meat, vegetarian?” – he had to assure her that yes, his heirloom beans were vegetarian.

Wow, can our country really truly be in that bad of shape, not knowing that dried beans in a bag were actually vegetarian!?? It’s very sad that so many people have no idea where real food really comes from!

But that’s what made me love this book even more! That story made me laugh and want to eat more beans!

Beans are a tremendous super food! High in protein, and loaded with fiber. And don’t forget the iron, vitamins B & A, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, and zinc. And cooking them yourself instead of buying a can is not that difficult!

To be truthful, I wasn’t always a bean lover! I always aspired to be a bean lover though, and I think that is what kept me working at it.

It’s definitely an acquired taste….if you start off gently and slowly, you can grow to enjoy and even love beans! My DH is living proof as well. He was dead-set against beans, and no, he doesn’t ADORE them now, but he does like them. He enjoys the food that I prepare with beans, and cookbooks like this with interesting and inspiring recipes are very helpful in getting to that place.

So anyway, the Rancho Gordo cookbook is loaded with all kinds of recipes. From appetizers, soups, & salads to side dishes & main dishes. There is a section that lists some of Steve’s favorite heirloom bean varieties with a short description of each. Lots of incredible photos too.

Then there is the section for “Basic Cooking Techniques for a Simple Pot of Beans”, which covers everything you need to know about soaking, flavoring, and cooking beans, along with several variations.

There’s tips on storing, along with tips and techniques on other cooking methods, ingredients, and equipment.

I’ve already read it once, and now I’m going back and reading it a second time! It’s really a great encyclopedia of beans! And it’s not just about heirloom beans, because not everyone has access to them. The tips and recipes can be applied to most any type of dried bean.

Oh it’s making me hungry for beans! Going to have to cook up a little pot tomorrow!

And for those that want to learn more about growing their own heirloom beans, Steve Sando has also written another book called “The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Grower’s Guide: Steve Sando’s 50 Favorite Varieties”

Disclaimer:
I love reading cookbooks, like some people love reading novels! I am inspired by recipes, and enjoy learning ideas from cookbooks; I like putting my own spin on a recipe rather than exactly following it. Please keep in mind that my opinions might be completely different from the other home cooks.