v:gourmet

I was at a slow food event the other day where they paired chefs with producers in the name of fantastic slow food creations. A lot of the food looked out of this world but, sadly, there was so much that I couldn’t try because it was all meat meat meat. Mostly pork for some reason – pulled pork, stewed pork, deep fried pork. Thank goodness for Brad Long who made a wonderful bean dish with wild chanterelle mushrooms. I asked him for some tips, tried to commit them to memory, and came up with my own version last night. Gotta say, it rocked.

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

good quality organic olive oil

herbs of your choice but you might want to head towards rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and parsley, chopped

dried mushrooms of your choice (or fresh if you have them but sometimes it’s hard to find fresh chanterelles, porcini etc.)

1 cup white wine

slow roasted tomatoes

beans (navy, adzuki, black turtle), cooked

salt and pepper

Cook beans of your choice and reserve. Heat up white wine in a small pot on the stove. Add dried mushrooms to rehydrate. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a heavy dutch oven on medium-high. Add onions and saute until nicely browned. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add herbs and saute until the kitchen is filled with the smell. Pour wine off the mushrooms and add to the dutch oven. Bring to a boil and let the wine reduce. Add reserved mushrooms. Add slow roasted tomatoes and let simmer for 5 – 10 minutes until the flavours start to blend. If the mixture gets too dry, add some additional wine and reduce. Add cooked beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately with parsley garnish, hearty bread, and a glass of red wine. Let me tell you, it hits the spot on a rainy, grey, fall night. And if you’re eating it as leftovers the next day, you can always add green beans, cauliflower, or other veggies as seen in the photo above. Thanks Brad!