My comfort food: Beans on Toast

+ My Little House on the Prairie Moment

Wow, at a time when there are infinite things to write about, my mind is feeling like an empty void. Of all the things I read on my quick social media dive this morning, this quote from a Mary Oliver poem is what grabbed me:

It's a serious thing

just to be alive

on this fresh morning

in this broken world.

I think that sums it up quite nicely. I've written about Mary Oliver here before. She is my spiritual guru.

Now for a favorite comfort food of mine...beans on toast! There are endless possibilities with beans on toast, but the two main components need to be on point: heirloom beans and fresh, crusty bread.

A few weeks ago, I went on a panic-buying spree at the grocery store. Having just read my daughter the book A Long Winter (in the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder), I went into homesteader survival mode and grabbed a bunch of stuff that seemed ridiculous at the time, including yeast packets and bags of flour. But now there is no yeast, and little bread, on the store shelves and all of a sudden, baking bread at home doesn't seem ridiculous. How things have changed in three weeks!

My friend turned me on to this book years ago, and as a somewhat lazy baker, I've found it to be pretty great: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg. His website has a lot of recipes too: https://artisanbreadinfive.com.

You can play around with the aromatics and toppings depending on what flavors you like and what you have on hand. I like to add something crunchy to the beans, like celery, but it's not necessary. Cheese, herbs, lemon zest, and extra-virgin olive oil are all toppings to consider.

Cranberry Beans and Celery on Toast

The other day, I had 1 cup of cooked Cranberry beans in my refrigerator, and some freshly baked bread. By golly, I felt like "Ma" from The Long Winter! I chopped 1 stalk of celery and 1 garlic clove and sautéed them in butter for a few minutes; I added the beans and cooked until everything was warm. I smashed this on a slice of bread, and sprinkled the top with salt and lemon zest. It hit the spot.

I hope you all are staying safe and sane. I for one am feeling grateful to be alive on this fresh morning, in this broken world. Now I just need to channel my inner "Ma" again, but this time go clean and iron the sheets and linens. xoxo

Here is some online inspiration:

Simple Beans on Toast (Steve Sando for the New York Times)

Experiments with Beans on Toast (Rancho Gordo on Pinterest)

Weeknight Beans And Toast (Deb Perelman for Bon Appetit)

Cannellini Toasts with Radicchio and Lemon-Parsley Relish (Joe Yonan for The Washington Post)

Chorizo and Black Bean Mollettes (Vice Magazine)

British-Style Beans on Toast (Serious Eats)