Vegetarian Cuban Picadillo

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT A DISH that has both briny, bitter olives and plump, sweet raisins that makes my palate very happy. Warming spices make the flavor almost perfect.

Cuban Picadillo is ordinarily made with ground meat. Because my husband and I have both been feeling squeamish about commercially produced ground beef lately, I decided to substitute lentils for the meat, which was perfect. The final result was absolutely scrumptious.

Vegetarian Cuban Picadillo
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large potato, diced
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. oregano
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup Spanish olives
1/2 cup golden raisins
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm olive olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and bell pepper; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic and stir for a few seconds. Add diced potato and continue to saute for a few more minutes. Add cinnamon, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and tomato paste. Stir to combine well. Add the whole tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir in red wine vinegar. Add cooked lentils, olives, and raisins. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan and simmer for about 30 minutes until everything is very tender.

Taste and correct seasonings.

Serve with rice.

Split Pea Soup

JUST BECAUSE IT IS SPRING DOES NOT MEAN it is warm. It took me a while to figure that out when I moved to these mountains years ago. In fact, on the first official day of spring, this year, we had snow. It is a time of year I don't plan too many meals in advance. I may want a salad for dinner or I may want a bowl of warming soup. I try to stay flexible.

I love split pea soup but I don't cook it that often because Pritchard Parker doesn't love it. He will eat it; he thinks it is OK. I made the soup this day for a couple of reasons, one being I had some leftover ham in the freezer I wanted to go ahead and use. Plus I had everything else on hand and wouldn't need to go out to the store.

To start the soup, I got out my soup pot, 2 medium-large potatoes, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, a jumbo onion,the frozen ham, and a one pound package of green split peas. I looked at all this and asked myself, "How many people are you making soup for"? I replied, "Two, and one of them is not even that crazy about it". I exchanged my big soup pot for a smaller one, put away one of the potatoes, one carrot, and one of the celery stalks. I used half the onion, half the package of split peas, and half the ham.

Split Pea Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium-large potato, peeled and diced
1/2 lb. green split peas
3 ounces (approximate) ham, to taste (optional)
Salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Over medium heat, saute the onion, celery, carrot, and potatoes in the olive oil, until beginning to become tender. Add salt and pepper. Stir in the split peas, add the ham and bay leaf. Cover the mixture with water to about 1 inch above the vegetables. Bring to a boil then lower heat; cover and simmer for 2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water when needed.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

Pasta e Ceci

PASTA e CECI IS NOT A FANCY DISH and I probably would not serve it for a dinner party. It did, however, make a perfectly delicious, healthful, and easy weeknight supper packed with flavor from olive oil, onions, garlic, anchovies, plum tomatoes, and fresh rosemary.

Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs but I must admit I don't enjoy pine needles in my food. There are a couple of ways to avoid this, one is to wrap it in cheese cloth to be removed after cooking. I prefer to chop it very finely, always using fresh.

I hope you will use the anchovies; they add such an unrecognizable depth of flavor, never fishy.

I used the adorable and tiny acini de pepe but any small pasta will work just fine. I loved the appearance and texture of the miniature pasta with the chickpeas. Because the pasta is cooked in the same pot, right along with the beans, the starchy cooking liquid helps to form a sauce. Not to mention this is a one pot meal making cleanup easy.

Pasta e Ceci
1 Tbsp.olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 - 6 anchovy fillets, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 springs fresh rosemary, or 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
4 cups broth or spring water
6 - 8 oz. small pasta
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm olive oil over medium low heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and anchovies, cooking until anchovies are melted. Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 10 - 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are fully cooked.

Increase heat and add can of chick peas, the broth or spring water, salt to taste, along with the rosemary. Bring to a healthy simmer and stir in the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked per the package, or taste.

When the pasta is done, spoon into warm bowls. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper, and garnish with shavings of Parmiigiano Reggiano.

Indian Lentil Soup

AN ERRAND HAD ME DRIVING TO A NEARBY TOWN in pouring rain. And I mean pouring. I had my wipers going as fast as they could go and still had to slow down to about 35 (in a 65) because of such poor visibility. Fortunately, other drivers were being sensible. Some had pulled over, but I kept pressing on. I ended up being in my car for about three hours.

When I got back home, I really wanted to cook up a steaming pot of soup. I knew I had all the ingredients on hand for one of my favorites--Indian Lentil Soup. I have made this recipe many, many times over the years and it is well loved by all who have tried it. I have posted it before but in case you missed it, here it is again. I served it with Naan and yogurt.

As we sat at the table, around six o'clock, enjoying our soup, I started noticing an unusual light coming in from outside. I commented on it and kept looking at all the windows. As a photographer, I am always observing light. I finally stopped eating and said I had to look out. I looked out the back door and reported my observation as a pale yellow sky. Then I walked to the front window, pulled back the sheers and gasped, "Oh Wow! It is a Huge Rainbow!"

We had to go outside to see the entire thing. It was the biggest and most intensely colored rainbow I have ever seen. What a blessing after that odious car trip.  Once it began to fade, we went back inside to finish dinner.

Life is good.

Cabbagetown Cafe Cookbook by Julie Jordan, 1986

Summer Beans

EVEN IN SUMMER, a savory bowl of beans can be perfect, especially at the end of a day of outdoor activities.

When I was a girl, growing up in Alabama, my family would take trips to the nearby panhandle of Florida with the sugary white sands and beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Some of my favorite memories are of the times my Mother, her Mother, my brothers and I would stay for a week at the White Sands Motel in Laguna Beach. It was an old fashioned motel, right on the beach, which had rooms and apartments. In order to make the family vacation more affordable, we always had an apartment. We could eat our meals there rather than eating out three times a day.

Mama made some of our food at home before we left, her famous homemade rolls, a fabulous orange date nut cake, and more. Each morning, we ate toasted rolls with fresh fruit (oh the memory of that fragrant, juicy, and flavorful cantaloupe) with a glass of milk, then hit the beach completely slathered with sunscreen.

Later in the morning, Mama would herd us all back inside to avoid the high sun. We would eat sandwiches for lunch, play cards, take naps, do our shopping. After 2 o'clock, we could go back to the beach, once again smeared with sunscreen.

At the end of the day, as we entered our little apartment by the sea, it would seem so dark after spending the afternoon in the glaring snow white sand. Also cold, with its air conditioning. We would shower, get out of our swimsuits for the first time all day, and Mama would serve a simple and warm supper.

These beans, which are based entirely on pantry items, can come together quickly on the stove top after a day of hiking. They can be cooked all day in the crock pot, they can be cooked over a campfire, or they can be baked in the oven.  They make a great addition to a barbecue, They also taste great leftover and cold.

The recipe is entirely flexible. Start with ground beef if you like, or start with bacon. I made mine vegetarian. Use any beans you like. This is how I made it this time. . .

Summer Beans
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can baked beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can large white lima beans
1 can green beans
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. grainy mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the onions and bell pepper, cooking until tender. Stir in minced garlic, continuing to stir and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Rinse and drain the beans as needed and add to the pot. Stir in the tomato soup, barbecue sauce, molasses, mustard, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour, until the sauce is thickened.

Serve with cornbread and salad.

Stacked Tortilla Pie

THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS WORKING OUT yesterday, I was thinking about food. Not that I was hungry; I'd had a good protein packed smoothie before I went to the gym. But I knew I would stop by the grocery store on my way home and I needed to decide what to make for dinner. I wanted something simple and healthful. As I was working on my gluteus maximus, this tortilla pie came to mind.

I have seen variations of this and Rosie Hawthorne's has always appealed to me most. I like that she doesn't cook or saute her vegetables before assembly. Now is the time of year I crave a little crunch in my life after all those winter soups and stews.

 I have always thought Rosie's use of butter and her baking directions sounded just right.

Rosie adds corn to her pie but I don't because Pritchard Parker doesn't want to eat it. Instead, I used two different types of beans--black beans and refried beans.

Stacked Tortilla Pie
(adapted from Kitchens are Monkey Business)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can refried beans
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup sliced pimiento stuffed olives
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Monteray Jack cheese
2 Tbsp. melted butter
Extra large whole wheat tortillas
Ground cumin and cayenne pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter a sheet pan.

Mix together the black beans, onion, bell pepper, tomato, and olives.

Spread refried beans on one tortilla and place on prepared sheet pan. Spread some of the vegetable mixture over the beans and then sprinkle on some of each cheese. Repeat, leaving a bit of vegetables and cheese for the top.

Brush melted butter on the edges of the tortillas and all over the top one. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and cumin to taste. Add the remaining vegetable mixture and cheese to the top.

Bake 20 - 30 minutes until golden and the cheese is melted. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with choice of salsa, sour cream, guacamole, crumbled caso blanco.

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

NO MATTER HOW YOU MAKE IT, Red Beans and Rice will always be a New Orleans legacy. Although today is Mardi Gras, I made this dish yesterday, Monday, which is the traditional day it is served in both homes and restaurants. According to legend, ham was typically served for Sunday dinner. Monday, laundry day, the leftovers were used to flavor a pot of beans which could simmer all day while the clothes were being scrubbed.

(I am so thankful for my washer and dryer).

There is no set recipe for this dish, but a few things are traditional. Some kind of smoky meat is used to flavor the beans, be it ham, tasso, bacon, fatback, ham hock, sausage. Red beans, dark red kidney beans, and light red kidney beans are all fine here. I used the latter. The trinity is always used--onion, celery, bell pepper, along with typical creole flavorings of thyme, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper.

Allow plenty of time to cook the beans, most of which is hands off time. In the end, you want the vegetables to have melted into a creamy sauce.























New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
1 pound dried red beans, inspected and soaked overnight
2 quarts water
1 meaty ham bone or a thick slice of ham cut into cubes
1 bunch scallions, including green tops
1 green pepper
2 stalks celery
3 medium onions
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
4 bay leaves
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Hot white rice to serve

Rinse beans and put into a big, heavy pot. Add water and ham. Set uncovered on a burner at medium heat. While the beans are warming, chop and add scallions, green pepper, celery and onions. Then add thyme and bay leaves.

When the mixture boils, reduce heat and cover. Stir every 20 - 30 minutes for three hours. Then, with a wooden spoon, mash about one-fourth of the beans against the side of the pot. If they don't mash easily, try again after half an hour.

Forty minutes after mashing the beans, taste and season with cayenne pepper, but don't use too much; this is supposed to be delicious but subtly flavored. Continue to cook while preparing white rice.

Ladle beans and sauce over the rice and serve. It's hard to believe, but all the vegetables cook away to nothing. The mashed beans thicken the sauce to a creamy consistency.

Even more flavorful rewarmed after a night in the refrigerator.























PS. New Orleans is a city near and dear to my heart. And yes, I have been there during a Mardi Gras season.

Home-Style Butterbeans

SOUTHERN CUISINE HAS A REPUTATION for being unhealthy. While it is true that Southerners love fried food (who doesn't) one point that is often overlooked is that Southerners love vegetables. Sure, your Southern Grandmother may have put a ham hock in with the pot of beans, but that was often the only meat on the table.

Poor butterbeans (or lima beans) are one of the most maligned vegetables and one of my favorites. I recently made these beans as a side dish with our dinner. For lunch the next day, I split a slice of cornbread and heaped these butterbeans over it. Even better. As you can see from the photos, I like a lot of black pepper on my butterbeans.

Home-Style Butterbeans
5 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (16 oz.) package frozen butterbeans (may substitute baby lima beans)
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
12 cups water

Cook bacon and onion in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes. Add brown sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Sitr in butterbeans and butter until butter is melted and beans are thoroughly coated. Stir in 12 cups water.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 hours or until beans are very tender and liquid is thickened and just below top of beans. Stir in salt and pepper.

Ham, White Bean and Kale Soup

COMFORTING AND WARMING SOUPS have been the stars of our evenings. I actually dreamed this one. Do you dream about food? I do all the time. Sometimes my dreams are of a dish or recipe; other times, they are more obtuse.

Last night, I dreamed I was in a grocery store with our resident 5-year-old, searching for a package of cinnamon rolls. The dairy department was very under stocked and the shelves were garnished with kale, just like an old-time salad bar. I couldn't find any cinnamon rolls but eventually found  a tube hidden amongst some kale. When I picked it up, I saw someone had already opened it and eaten most of the raw dough.

Where did that come from? Perhaps from all the snow and blizzard scares? You know how people panic and rush to the store for bread and milk when dire weather is predicted.

A few nights ago, my dreams were more pleasant. I was peacefully stirring a big pot of soup, while standing in my sock feet. Next morning, over my cup of tea, I was thinking of this dream. As I recalled the details and ingredients, I knew this was a dream I would make true and we all loved it.

I made this soup with a ham steak but if you have some leftover ham, even better. I also soaked 1 1/2 cups of dried navy beans, overnight. Feel free to use canned navy, great northern, or cannelloni beans if you don't want to take that step.

Ham, White Bean, and Kale Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ham steak, cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups navy beans which have been soaked overnight
5 cups soup stock or water
4 cups chopped raw kale
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Saute the onion and ham until beginning to brown. Stir in garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the beans and soup stock. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if needed. (Mine took about 1 hour).

Stir in the kale and tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes longer. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Stone Soup

WE HAVE BEEN EATING A LOT OF SOUP around here lately. It is warming against the frigid temperatures we are having.

We are hosting another family, including a 5-year-old, in our home while they are in a transitional period. Although we are happy to do it, it does put a strain on our physical space not to mention our food budget. Soups are an economical and nourishing way to feed a crowd.

I called this one Stone Soup after the folk tale in which some hungry travelers with an empty pot stopped in a village for the night. In the tale, the travelers filled the pot with water, dropped in a stone and set it over a fire. Soon a villager contributed some carrots to flavor the stone soup, then another contributed and so on until a delicious soup was enjoyed by all.

That is sort of the way this soup was built. We all contributed and helped make it based on what we could find in the kitchen, including some leftover black-eyed peas from our New Year dinner.

Stone Soup
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 (15 oz.) cans chopped tomatoes
3 cups homemade vegetable stock
1/2 head cabbage, sliced
3 cups cooked black-eyed peas
Salt, pepper, basil and oregano to taste
Grated cheddar cheese

I started the soup by sauteing the onions, carrots, and celery in the olive oil, in a large soup pot. Then I added the potatoes. The next person came along and added the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Then the cabbage and peas were added. Pritchard Parker added the seasonings.

We let the soup simmer for a while, then topped with grated cheddar cheese, and served with cornbread. Soy sauce and hot sauce were available.

Delicious, healthful, warming, and satisfying.

Gentle Lentil Soup

WHEN MY HUSBAND CAME INTO THE KITCHEN and saw my very old and well loved Moosewood Cookbook open on the table, he smiled. He told me that he had stood in the bookstore browsing endless cookbooks with the intention of buying me one for Christmas. He was not inspired by any of them. He thought them too showy, overly stylized, and unoriginal. Pretty, beautiful even, but not anything really useful.

Indeed, I have a few of those glossy cookbooks in my collection and after my initial enjoyment of reading/looking at them, they have sat unused, taking up space on my bookshelves. In fact, I have been thinking for a while of culling many of my books. If you are interested in any of them, let me know.

Meanwhile, I have turned to my favorite cookbooks over and over throughout the years. The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen is an unpretentious, old fashioned, classic and lovely vegetarian cookbook. Every recipe I have ever cooked (many, many) have been perfectly delicious. The book is printed on earthy paper, hand-letter and illustrated by the author--not a photograph in sight.

This lentil soup is not something you will zoom through the kitchen in less than 30 minutes to prepare. But if you really enjoy cooking, all the processes and aromas that go along with it, you will be rewarded with a surprisingly delicious, healthful, simple, and filling soup. Our resident 5-year-old gobbled it up!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

IT SEEMS THAT ONE MINUTE WE WERE PICNICKING, enjoying the gorgeous fall colors, and crisp, fresh air and the next it was snowing. I made my first official cold weather food--a healthful and spicy vegetarian chili.

This chili is hearty but not heavy. Black beans and sweet potatoes are a favorite food combination of mine and I am always dreaming up new ways to serve them together.

I started my chili with dried beans, about 1 1/2 cups. But if you prefer, you can use 2 (15 oz.) cans, rinsed and drained. In my recipe, I call for 5 to 6 cups of cooked black beans and you can decide how you want to arrive at them.

I love cheese and tortilla chips with chili, but you could also serve it with coleslaw and cornbread.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups spring water
5 - 6 cups cooked and drained black beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften. Add garlic, chili powder, and cumin, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, about 10 - 12 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes, and lime juice. Return to a simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.

Composed Salads, Grain Bowls, and Organizing Photo Files

IF YOU LOVE COOKING AND YOU LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY (a match made in heaven) you will most likely end up with a backlog of photo files to sort through.

My files had gotten so big, they were bogging down my computer. It was time to stop procrastinating and get to work. I have deleted hundreds on photos and transferred others to an external drive.

I do photograph many things other than food and this process has taken me down a memory lane of the past couple of years. There are so many cute pictures of the children--they grow and change so fast. There were pictures of my head, bald from chemo, to growing out, to my first haircut last week. There are many photos of beautiful flowers, birds, bunnies, butterflies, and bugs from our yard. Scenic photos from the gorgeous, vibrant, and hip place I am blessed to live--Asheville, North Carolina.

Mandarin Chicken Salad

As I culled photographs, I decided to share some of the things I have made, we ate, but never made it to my blog. Mainly because I wasn't pleased with the photos. But also because I wasn't thrilled with the taste of the food. I only blog about things I think are delicious.

For example, the Mandarin Chicken Salad. Ho-hum.

Shrimp, Brown Rice, and Vegetable Salad

I can see the salad has a dressing but I don't remember what it was. Which is another danger of letting my photo files back up. I can't remember what I did.






































I remember loving the brown rice and tofu bowl--I would happily eat it right now. I suppose I could fake some recipes. . .

Many things I love, tuna, cheese, boiled eggs, radishes, cornichons, sprouts (!) with baby lettuces.

Waldorf Quinoa Salad

I was really happy with this meal, but I didn't get any photos I loved. Quinoa, grapes, celery, apples, lettuce, candied pecans, and crumbled blue cheese. (Some kind of dressing). Mmmm, I think I'll try this again.

I was also happy about this meal, but again did not get shots of it that I loved. It was an awesome combination of flavors, quinoa, black beans, roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, pineapple, cheddar cheese, and spinach. I dressed this one with a Honey Lime Vinaigrette.

Honey Lime Vinaigrette
1 small sweet onion, preferably Vidalia, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, washed and peeled
1 lime, washed, roughly chopped and seeded
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients into blender and process until smooth.

Southern Legacy Green Beans

My Grandmother's Serving Bowl

IF MY GRANDMOTHER WERE ALIVE TODAY I would ask her to cook me some of her well loved green beans. As you can see, these beans are cooked to smithereens. It has taken me years to get them right and now I am sharing her secrets with you.

These beans are intensely flavored--practically a bean butter. Think apple to apple sauce to apple butter. That is the concept.

After inquiring about these beans repeatedly over the years, it was a recent conversation with my Mother, when she said that her Mother would put on the green beans right after breakfast, to have for supper that evening, that I had my Aha! moment. I had been told to put the beans in a big pot, add in a piece of fatback, cover with water and cook. That was it. The detail that wasn't revealed was the fact that the beans were literally cooked for hours. Hours.

My Grandmother's Table Cloth

 I cooked these beans as part of a summer vegetable plate, as was tradition in my family. To this day, there is nothing I love eating more than a plate of well prepared, flavorful vegetables. I have been eating these vegetables for two meals each day for three days in a row. Heavenly.

As the beans, squash, corn, field peas, okra, and tomatoes were spent, greens would be planted. In fall, the turnip greens, collards, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins would begin appearing on plates instead of the summer crops.

My Grandmother's beans cannot be made with the blue lake type green bean typically found year round in grocery stores. A good stout bean is needed. These are half runners which are an heirloom bean. You definitely don't want to steam these for five minutes and serve. Even if you don't want to caramelize them as I have done, they still need a good long cooking time to achieve tenderness.

You need to snap these beans and string them. Some people even call them snap beans. And when I say string beans, you can see what I mean. If you ever sit down before a serving of beans that have not been properly stringed--well, let's just say it is not pleasant. And the snapping helps to get hold of the strings for pulling to remove.

Rinse very thoroughly.

The vendor called this "side meat". My Grandmother always called it streak o' lean.  It is like slab bacon that has been cured but not smoked. It is salt cured, so don't add any salt to your beans. I have known cooks to use lard instead, or even a big glug of vegetable shortening. If I wanted to keep the concentrated bean flavor more on the healthy and vegetarian side, I would use coconut oil. Of course you would need to add salt then.

Southern Legacy Green Beans
3 - 4 pounds heirloom green beans, snapped and strings removed
2 - 3 oz. streak o' lean, salt pork, fatback, lard, or other fat of choice
Salt if not using salt-cured meat
Water

Put prepared green beans in a large, heavy pot. Add streak o' lean. Cover the beans with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and partially cover. Cook for several hours, adding more water as needed. Do not add more salt--the salt added in the beginning is still there, it is only the water that cooks away.