Taking Stock of Stock

The power of beans is legendary, whether immortalized in Jack's fairy-tale climb or the off-color schoolyard rhyme ("Beans, beans, the magical fruit"--you know the unfortunate rest). But beans work magic on the serious side of life, too. Eaten together with cereal grains or corn, they provide the full complement of amino acids necessary for a complete protein. Black beans and maize, hummus and pita, and rajma chawal (Indian spiced kidney beans eaten with basmati)--combinations like these have been the culinary cornerstones of great civilizations, in large part because they're such efficient nutrition: a way to deliver protein to a great number of people without the logistical trouble of raising livestock on a grand scale.

However, despite the historical importance of beans, cooks often overlook their full potential. Now that we're experiencing a resurgence of nose-to-tail eating, which advocates wasting as little as possible of the animals we eat, why not apply the same principle to our appreciation of humbler edibles? Bean stock does just that, and though it's long been used by resourceful home cooks, there's scant discussion online or in print of the many reasons to love it.

Here's one: It's delicious in its own right, and it practically makes itself. Sure, you can spend days preparing top-notch stocks from organic grass-fed Angus bones and the happy remains of free-range fowl, but who has the time or money? Simply reserve the cooking liquid from your next pot of beans, throw in a few herbs to steep, and the result can be used as a replacement for beef, chicken, or any other stock. It won't be as rich as its long-simmered veal- or beef-based counterparts, but what it lacks in depth, it makes up for in ease of preparation and variety.

With the stellar array of dried beans available for order on the Internet--Sunset Runner, Black Calypso, Lazy Wife, Rattlesnake, Ojo de Cabra--there's no end to the experiments you can try. Customize your stock's flavor and body by combining different varieties, depending on the dish. Certain beans, like cannellini, yield a clear, slightly sweet, and just-a-touch-gelatinous stock akin to its poultry-based cousin--great for soups and stews where subtlety is key. Others, like any number of black bean varieties, produce an ebony brew that makes for knockout homemade pasta, in place of the usual squid ink.

Whatever your taste, Rancho Gordo, a California farm dedicated to native New World specialty crops, is a great place to do your legume legwork. Entry-level stock artists can read up on heirloom varieties, and RG's samplers offer a range of options, once you're ready to jump in. Take, for instance, the Desert Island Sampler: It includes, among other favorites, a variety known as Good Mother Stallard, which produces "the most perfect pot liquor of any bean," according to Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando.

Such treasures, though not cheap, cost only a fraction of the price you'd pay for meat of similar quality. And with the sudden leaps in cost we're seeing in everything from wheat to eggs, you probably ought to stock up.


Basic Cannellini Stock
This light, delicate stock is a fine substitute for chicken, vegetable, or even fish stock. The rules aren't hard and fast: Improvise with other vegetables (fennel, for example) or different herbs (such as tarragon or marjoram).

Ingredients
1 pound highest-quality dried cannellini beans
3 quarts water
1 medium yellow onion, peeled
1 stalk celery
1 medium carrot, peeled
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 to 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
6 to 8 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Method
1. Rinse the beans under running water, discarding any pebbles. Heat the beans and the 3 quarts of cold water over high heat.

2. Chop the onion, celery, and carrot and add them to the beans, along with the thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns.

3. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and allow the beans to simmer for approximately 3 hours, periodically adding water to maintain the original level. The beans are done when they are tender, but not mushy. Because crops vary, some beans will take longer, and others will cook faster. Test them as they cook.

4. When the beans are cooked through, add the salt and stir to dissolve. Set a colander over a clean, empty pot and tip the beans into it. Remove the herbs and peppercorns and reserve the beans for another recipe. Taste the stock and correct for seasoning; if it needs a little oomph, add a dash of white-wine vinegar.

Pinch Plus: Satchels of Spice

Every so often, there comes along a seductive little recipe, something witty, smart, refreshing, and just that little bit cocky, that asks for a herb or spice you don't have. It's never much - half a teaspoon, maybe. A pinch. And it's always distressing to have to march down to the grocer's and reluctantly reach for it: a seasoning you use so little of, that you know full well will remain untouched for the rest of the year, gathering dust in a corner until the annual spring clean.

We're sure the good people over at Pinch Plus heard our collective lament. Based in Wooster, OH, this small family-run operation has rolled out 24 different one-tablespoon sachets of herbs and spices at 99 cents each. Some may recoil at the idea of shelling out a dollar for a tablespoon of herbs - but, then again, isn't that the lesser of two evils, when compared to letting an entire bottle of it grow musty and insipid in a forgotten corner? Besides, how nifty is it that you can buy just a pinch of, say, turmeric, when that's all you need?

The company also has, hands down, the most beautifully designed "Cook's Library" of spice booklets we've seen. These little tomes open out to specially tailored recipes and individually packaged spices, and come in themes: a Pinch of France, Thailand, India, Mexico, and Maine, and even a Pinch of Christmas. They serve as excellent muses for dinner parties and are a convenient launching pad for exploring culinary traditions around the world.

Pinch Plus's sachets of herbs and spices are organic, contain no salt or additives, and keep for over three years if unopened. They're available at good retailers throughout the country and at the Pinch Plus online store.