Kidney bean salad

I bought these gorgeous gigantic purple speckled kidney beans and thinking about making a salad (in couple of hours). I would love to hear from you on how you would use them in a dish.

QueenSashy
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13 Comments

Droplet
Droplet February 8, 2013
Thank you for letting us know :). They look really good. I will give mine a try in a stew with some butternut squash and maybe some roasted red peppers...I have to admit though that it was a bit disheartening to find out the beans are a Chinese hybrid.
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy February 8, 2013
A butternut stew sounds delcious. Look forward to your dish!
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy February 8, 2013
Droplet, I finally used the beans -- not in a salad, but in an earthy ragout with dried mushrooms, carrots and rosemary. They are wonderful!!! We actually ate half of the beans before they made into ragout. I posted the recipe as "Chestnut" and Mushroom Ragout (http://food52.com/recipes/20741-chestnut-and-mushroom-ragout).
 
Droplet
Droplet February 7, 2013
Susan, my father got them for me, I will see if he can ask the lady at the market that he goes to.
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy February 7, 2013
I bought mine at the farmer's market (they were so incredibly pretty) and the salesgirl did not know the name. I googled them and believe that they are Large Black Speckled Kidney Beans.
 
susan G.
susan G. February 7, 2013
QueenSashy, Droplet, what are the beans called?
 
Droplet
Droplet February 7, 2013
If they taste like chestnuts they might be good in a pumpkin stew of sorts...with some feta cheese. Now I know what to expect when I go to cook mine :)
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy February 7, 2013
I am considering simmering the beans with dry mushrooms, rosemary and cream, maybe a tiny bit of carrot, but not sure. Anyhow, I packed my beans and left them in a fridge until tomorrow. It gives me an extra day to think the dish through. I will let you know how it turns out.
 
Droplet
Droplet February 7, 2013
I have the exact same beans in my pantry right now :). I have been thinking about cooking them long and slow in a tomato and leek sauce maybe, with some oregano.
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy February 7, 2013
I just cooked them, and they taste like chestnuts! I expected them to taste like gigantic kidney beans - and was preparing a smokey paste of sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, but now that they taste like chestnuts, not sure anymore that sun-dried tomato is a good idea. Need to redesign my dish in the next hour or so :)
 
Maedl
Maedl February 7, 2013
That makes me laugh! I bought some black and white beans from Rancho Gordo about two years ago and put them in a glass jar. They are still there--too pretty to use!
 
Maedl
Maedl February 7, 2013
They would be lovely in a salad--but they might not keep the mottled appearance after cooking.
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy February 7, 2013
I know :( I keep on looking at them all day long...
 
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