Last week featured the Christmas meal. I ended up using a couple of squash to make a squash puree. My other dish was some Boston baked beans made from my Jacob's Cattle beans and onions. I used not quite two pounds of beans for the dish. I'm guessing that people not from the US haven't heard of Boston baked beans and many people who live here haven't had the real deal. The canned beans you get from the supermarket is not real even if they say Boston baked beans on it. I had never had it until I went to Durgin-Park for dinner one time. The beans are baked with onions, molasses, mustard, and salt pork or bacon for 6-8 hours. Though some contend they have to be baked underground in a pit (much like pig in a luau), I wasn't about to go that far. The long cooking time caramelizes all the sugars and the taste is very transformed.
My baked beans were going to be done all vegan. Since we had a large group of not quite 50 people we had a mix of vegetarians and semi Kosher folk. However I couldn't fit all the beans into one casserole dish to bake (I don't own a traditional bean pot), so I made two and one had bacon. We even had the farmer who raised the pig at dinner. So it was a very much home grown dish.
I was going to have homegrown in my last dish too, but decided not to. I made thumbprint cookies. I was going to use some homegrown strawberry jam, but it was my last jar. And I still had a jar of my homemade cranberry apple jam. I thought Christmas a better time to use that.
I had few leftovers from Christmas. Just about a cup of each of my dishes. I thought they went well with my my morning eggs.
In fact I liked the beans and eggs so much I had to bring out some Gallo Pinto that I had frozen earlier in the year. Beans and eggs make a very nice breakfast.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. Now I just have to figure out what I'm making for the New Year's party tonight. I still have a lot of sweet potatoes that need to get used. Even though I've been eating them every week (above is some mashed sweet potatoes I made, along with the last of the fresh spinach), it still looks like I haven't touched them. My boxes are still almost full. So they would be the best choice. Maybe I can make my quinoa and sweet potato soup. Hmm I'll have to think about it.
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to show off, add your name and link to Mr Linky below.
Looks yummy! Have you posted a recipe for quinoa and sweet potato soup? That sounds like something I'd like to try! Trying to eat a bit more vegan in the coming year, for health.
ReplyDeletehttp://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/search?q=quinoa
DeleteI posted the recipe here. You can easily leave out the ham and use veggie stock instead. I'm going to leave the ham out tonight so more can eat it.
I make traditional Boston baked beans and they really are delicious. Sounds heavenly in fact and I feel inspired to make some. My husband had unexpected surgery over the weekend and is coming home from the hospital today (we hope!) and this would be a good thing to make for him as it is easy to digest and eat. Definitely on the menu in the very near future. No Harvest Monday post from me this week as a result of my husband's situation. I have not been home to harvest, cook, or take photos of anything.
ReplyDeleteI hope your husband gets better soon.
DeleteHi Daphne; I don't have any significant harvest to show off this week - more Radicchio and a few turnips - but I just wanted to leave a comment to say Happy New Year to you, and thanks for hosting the Harvest Monday link-up, which is much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I've ever had the real Boston baked beans. I have made them from scratch using Navy beans, but I don't remember cooking them that long. I can imagine they taste a whole lot better than anything from a can!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a Happy New Year too and all the best in 2013 and beyond.
You're right even many of us in the US haven't had the real thing. I know I haven't. They sound delicious, we will have to give them a try. Happy New Year!! Thanks so much for hosting the Monday Harvest report it brings so many readers to my blog that I never would have found otherwise!!!
ReplyDeleteSuch a problem--to have so many sweet potatoes! I'm glad you had a good harvest.
ReplyDeleteWhen I need a recipe to use an ingredient on I often check epicurious.com. That's where I found last night's recipe to use my spinach. (See post).
I have the Durgin Park recipe for baked beans--clipped from the Boston Globe decades ago. Email me if you'd like it.
Happy New Year!
Susan
Hi, hope You have a really Happy New Growing-Year! So glad that You are hosting! Best wishes! :) Mia
ReplyDeleteB&M canned baked beans are pretty good. The other brands I've tried have been awful.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Daphne! Thanks so much for hosting Harvest Monday, I can't believe that I've been keeping detailed track of my harvests for the past 3 years and sharing them here. It's been so much fun to find other garden bloggers through Harvest Monday. The baked beans sound utterly delicous - I love long slow cooked dishes. And I'm sure they are delicous with eggs.
ReplyDeleteThe baked beans sound lovely. Best wishes to you in the new year. Thank you for hosting this lively garden party.
ReplyDeleteThere was a nutritionist on the radio this morning talking about breakfasts as she too thought beans were one of the best breakfasts you could eat. Tasty and healthy - the best combination.
ReplyDeleteI have mentioned your wonderful blog in a new post! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeletehttp://theredeemedgardener.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-10-for-2012-and-thanks.html
Happy New Year. You're right - Boston Beans are definitely an American thing...they do look good.
ReplyDeleteHappy new year to you all!
ReplyDeleteThank-you, Daphne, for hosting this past year of Harvest Mondays! Looking forward to what the New Year may bring...
ReplyDeleteHey! I posted a recipe too with Jacob's Cattle beans! I made chili with them. Like you said - they are super and much better than using canned beans.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if you have time to come over my way for dinner sometime? I'm about 2 miles west of you and have been following your blog forever and would love to meet you.
Happy New Year
Kathy
That looks delicious. I can't digest eggs or meat very well, but everything else looks wonderful!
ReplyDelete