Rancho Gordo beans

I have been doing a lot of reading of foodie blogs and other items in newspapers and magazines regarding foods and food trends. Not too long ago, I came across an article regarding Rancho Gordo beans out of California. They have a beautiful website with lots of products including heirloom beans. They cooperate with farmers in Mexico who grow these heirloom beans and therefore help keep the small Mexican farmers in business.

Our order arrived last week and we decided on three different beans. The Rio Zape bean is described as having hints of chocolate and coffee and best with great Mexican food or as a pot bean with a squeeze of lime.

The Flageolet is a creamy, dense heirloom bean that stays whole yet soft when cooked. Ideal with roasted tomatoes, with lamb or fish or in a cassoulet.

Today we had the Sangre de Toro. This is a very small bean and for our first try, I wanted to get the total bean essence. We sauteed celery, onion and garlic and added the soaked beans with their liquid and cooked for a couple of hours.


These beans tasted so unlike any others we have ever had. The beans are a little pricey, $5.95 for a pound, but it is pure protein you are serving which seems rather reasonable. We are looking forward to trying the other beans.

If you are interested in learning more about this company and their products, check out the website for Rancho Gordo and learn what is available.

The color of the day is orange!

Growing up in Iowa, I remember an orchard of apple trees in our backyard. There were also a couple of peach trees and one or two pear, if I remember correctly. I do remember that when fall arrived, the work started with picking apples, and for the younger generation, gathering them off the ground in order for dad to be able to mow the grass underneath.

Because we lived in an historic area, there were always a lot of tourists coming through town. I recall how I would haul a bushel or two of apples to the front road and sit and sell apples to whomever wanted to buy. I usually got rid of all of them quickly.

But, as you can see, the photos above are not apples, but oranges. They are on a neighbor's tree. Despite the cold we had earlier in the month, these oranges survived beautifully. Lots of grapefruit are also bulging on the tree branches. It still seems odd to me to see bright orange instead of bright red on trees. But, I can get used to it.

Salmon Burgers with Cilantro Mayo

We have tried different recipes for Salmon Burgers in the past, but when I read "Annie's Eats" this morning, I knew we would have these for dinner tonight.

Salmon Burgers with Cilantro Mayo
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
6 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 lb. salmon fillets, skinned, boned and finely chopped
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
We did add 2 chopped scallions

For the cilantro mayo:
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup cilantro
Dash of cayenne pepper (we used a dash of hot sauce)
Squeeze of lemon juice

In a medium bowl, combine the diced bell pepper, panko, garlic and salmon. In a small bowl combine the egg white, soy sauce, lemon juice and salt. Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the salmon and toss gently until well incorporated. Form the mixture into four equal patties. We found that taking an empty tuna can and oiling it, will make nicely formed patties when the salmon mixture is packed into it and then tapped out.

Make the cilantro mayo, combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until well combined and smooth.

Lightly coat a grill pan or skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the patties about 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Instead of putting these burgers on buns, we had loose leaf lettuce with a vinaigrette and placed the burgers on top. It was excellent and will certainly be added to our favorite recipe box.