Beans, Greens and Cornbread

We had a rainy, stormy night last night, the first we've had in several weeks and woke up to a dreary, drizzly, overcast day today.  There goes my plans for hanging Christmas lights.  And before you come unhinged, let me add that we're only hanging lights, not burning them.  I'm not a total redneck, after all; I just don't like standing out in the cold hanging lights the day after Thanksgiving.

A gray, damp day like today calls for a warm, hearty meal so I'm thinking beans, cornbread and fresh kale, straight from the garden.  I love beans.  Any sort.  And with the exception of the black-eyed variety,  I don't think I've ever met a bean I don't like.  My family, on the other hand, is, well, a bunch of bean snobs.  Bean.  Snobs.  They'll eat beans if they absolutely have to, but only with much kicking, screaming and gnashing of teeth.  Well, tonight they'll just have to kick, scream and gnash because we're eating beans.

When I make beans, I start with the big 2-lb bag.  Soak the beans overnight then drain them, putting half in the cooker and half in a freezer bag.  Did you know that soaked beans freeze very well and then cook up quickly when they're thawed?  Oh yes. Since the soaking is the time-consuming part, you might as well get that out of the way and save yourself some prep work for the next time.  Anyway, I like to cook beans in a big cast iron pot, with a ham bone, a diced onion and salt and pepper.  Cook 'em up slow til they're super rich and serve them with a slab of hot buttermilk cornbread and wilted kale greens and you have nothing short of bliss on a plate.  That's only my opinion; my kids would opine something very different.

I must confess that I have an ulterior motive for cooking up such a big pot of beans: crema.  I heard this recipe on Good Eats a few nights ago and have been dying to try it.  Crema is a thick, tart, spicy condiment used in Mexican cooking....and my mouth just waters thinking about it.  Take a cup of heavy cream and heat it to just under 100 degrees.  Add a few tablespoons of buttermilk and allow it to culture at room temperature for 24-48 hours.  You know.  Until it curdles.  Blend the curdled milk with a chipotle pepper and a dash of salt until it's thick and creamy and then refrigerate.  Okay, it may not sound good, what with all this curdled milk talk, but it sounds very much like a dressing Chi-Chi's restaurants used to serve some 20 years ago and it was stop-you-in-your-tracks delicious!

So beans and cornbread for dinner tonight. 

Homemade soft tacos with beans and crema for dinner tomorrow.

What's your favorite way of serving up a humble pot of beans?