Bean crostini
 
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces of Ranch Gordo 'Black Calypso' beans
  • 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
  • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons of oil packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
  • A couple dashes of red pepper flakes
  • Bread for crostini
  • Olive oil, for brushing on the crostini
  • Chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
Because these beans are so fresh, you don't need to soak them; they will just take a little longer to cook if you don't (I didn't soak them when I made this recipe).
  1. Rinse and sort the beans and place in a pot with the chopped shallot and cover them with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil, and let it go for about 10 minutes.
  2. Reduce heat, cover, and put on the lowest simmer you can muster and cook until they are tender. The beans will soak up a lot of water as they cook; you may need to add more water (from the kettle, not the tap). My beans were cooked in 1½ hours, but that can vary.
  3. When they are tender, drain them and place in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add all the rest of the ingredients and mix, tasting and adjusting as you go.
  5. When you are done, set the bean mixture aside and make your crostini. There are a few ways to make crostini. I like to brush it with olive oil and grill, but you can also toast it in the oven. Spread the beans over the toasted crostini and serve.
Recipe by Have You Eaten, SF? at https://haveyoueatensf.com/cool-beans/