Cranberry Bean Gratin

Cranberry Bean Gratin

-from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, thank you Kelli for sending it in!

Soak overnight in 4 cups water:

1 1/4 cups cranberry or borlotti beans

Drain and cover with fresh water by 2 inches in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off any foam. Simmer gently for 2 hours or so until the beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during the cooking.

Season to taste with salt.

Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid. Meanwhile finely dice:

1/2 onion (about 1/4 cup diced) (Lenz family used one whole small onion)

1 small peeled carrot (about 1/4 cup diced)

1 small celery stalk (about 1/4 cup diced)

Heat in a heavy-bottomed pan:

1/4 cup olive oil

Add the diced vegetables and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add:

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

6 fresh sage leaves, chopped (we didn't have fresh sage so I used 1 tsp. dried)

salt

Cook for 5 minutes and then stir in:

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned

Cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Mix the beans with the vegetables and put into a medium-size gratin or baking dish. Taste for salt. Add enough bean liquid to almost cover. Drizzle with:

1/4 extra-virgin olive oil

Cover with:

1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs (we had Panko breadcrumbs in the cupboard so thats what we used)

Bake for 40 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven, checking occasionally. If the gratin is drying out, carefully spoon in a little bean liquid (pouring at the sides of the gratin dish to avoid getting the crumbs wet).

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