The Musical Fruit

For some years now I've been wanting to find a good recipe for baked beans. I'm not sure why it took me this long. Maybe subconscious anxiety caused by the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles.

Anyway, this week I threw caution to the winds (sorry!) and found a dutch oven baked bean recipe that looked promising and not too difficult. I grilled some chicken for the main course and the result was tasty, healthy and musical:

Bacon, onions, garlic.

Add pre-soaked navy beans and chicken broth.

When the beans are soft add other stuff. Tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, etc.

Cook some more.

Now add the dutch oven lid and bake for a couple of hours.

The dutch oven is in the left background, by the classy outdoor fireplace.

Chicken is just about done. Note the baby dutch full of BBQ sauce.

Ready to eat. Keith and Karen brought crabs and salad.

Here are some random links, in celebration of all things legume:

I don't know why anyone would want to do this, but to learn how to take the "wind" out of beans, click here.

To enjoy the aforementioned scene from Blazing Saddles, click here.

There is even a Facebook page devoted to beans, which includes some poetry.

Beans on Facebook. Right.