Magic beans

Mayocoba. Peruano. Evidently, I don't know beans. While perusing the Hispanic food section at Rosauer's with my visiting sister, I was advised to try these beans, which I hadn't noticed before. The bag had both names on the label. She told me they're better than pintos or black beans; the latter has been my go-to bean for years. Last night, I corroborated her opinion by cooking one of the tastiest batches of beans I've made in awhile. Starting with a carton of Costco chicken stock (not broth), I poured a pound bag of the unfamiliar beans into the crockpot. A diced carrot, one bay leaf, half a chopped onion, ditto of green pepper, and three cloves of garlic went in with a smoked turkey leg. The beans cooked all afternoon without losing their individuality. Along the way I added half a carton of water and opened another stock carton and added half of it. I was beginning to wonder if we were having beans for supper. I transferred the batch to my enamel dutch oven, adding two heaping tablespoons of a tomatillo salsa I'd made earlier. Wandering out to the herb patch, I contributed two giant basil leaves, three sprigs of thyme and four oregano flower heads to the pot, cut up with scissors. By 6 p.m., they were tender. I discovered that these beans do not cook into mush easily. They stay firm but creamy. Taking the meat off the turkey leg, I shredded it, discarding the sinews and skin. Wow. I am a convert. These are magic beans, indeed. P.S. Two ripe Maryhill peaches and a half pound of dark cherries needed using, so I came up with a new twist on those church supper fruit Jello mixtures Mom loves. Instead of using a commercial product, I dissolved three packets of gelatin in 1 cup of grapefruit juice and three cups of a low-sugar cranberry juice cocktail with Splenda in a saucepan, adding another couple of tablespoons of sucralose as well as a teaspoon of Spice Hunter's natural lemon extract. The dissolved mixture was poured over the peach slices and the halved cherries. To speed up the process, I draped the aforesaid frozen gel pack over the glass casserole dish. One hour later, we had ambrosial fruit gelatin for dessert.

Alton Brown has beaten me to the punch. Again.

Our Saturday Farmers' Market is hitting full stride, a downtown Stevenson cornucopia of local fruits and vegetables, as well as homemade salsa, zucchini relish, alpaca yarn and wooden furniture. Don't forget the worm tea --- which I managed to do in the recesses of the van, resting comfortably in its recycled pop bottle. It will likely still be useful to juice up our drooping hanging baskets. One score this weekend was six huge, juicy Maryhill peaches. They are one of the wonders of the eastern Columbia Gorge. A windsurfing beach nestled among the orchards near Maryhill Museum and Maryhill Winery is called Peach Beach. A few years ago as I drove S.R. 14 near Lyle, I discovered I was following a truck laden with apple boxes of Maryhill peaches, which looked so succulent that I flagged down the driver, had him pull over, and bought a box on the spot. I canned them, and won a blue ribbon at the fair with a jar. These dark, dusky and musky Maryhill beauties were among the provender offered by the market organizer, Gorge Grown, which brings a truck to various locations each week from local farms to augment the farmers' booths. The three varieties of Gorge Grown cherries also looked good, but we had recently bought a couple of bags of cherries. I made a cherry crisp, and we froze about a quart of Lamberts, seeded and waiting for inspiration. My scores this weekend also included some firm stalks of rhubarb. As Mom left for church, I plotted our Sunday dinner. Roast chicken, of course, a breast and a few thighs scattered with garlic and herbs and baked low and slow with a scalloped potato/vegetable casserole. The capper? A peach-rhubarb cobbler/upside down cake. Because actual cobbler requires cutting butter or some other solid fat into the flour, which is verboten on Mom's low-fat diet, I do a hybrid involving Heart Smart Bisquick augmented by buttermilk, Eggbeaters, xylitol, a little whole wheat flour and cinnamon. It is denser than a cake batter, and the low and slow baking temperature, which wavered between 300-325, is perfect for that consistency. I cut up the peaches, leaving on the skin. In a saucepan, I added a little agave syrup and 1/4 cup of xylitol to a half cup of lightly salted water, then chunked up four stalks of rhubarb and simmered the mixture, adding a little Minute Tapioca the last couple of minutes. The half-cooked rhubarb was then poured over the peaches, which had been sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg. The batter was spooned over the top and sprinkled with a little more cinnamon. The dessert was stupendously good. I hadn't heard of that combination and thought I may have invented something, but an Internet foray revealed several recipes for peach-rhubarb cobblers and crisps, with Alton Brown's at the top of the search. Earlier this morning, I turned on "Good Eats" and saw a segment on melons. There was Alton, beating me to the punch again. Earlier this week I had turned a perfectly sweet and juicy watermelon with a mushy heart into sorbet in my ice cream maker, adding only a little xylitol and agave syrup to the blender. The "Good Eats" segment included a tip or two on making watermelon sorbet. Yes, Alton --- I promise to add the fruit slurry only while the machine is running after this. However, I have come up with my own ice cream-making secret. I have started placing one of those large frozen gel packs used in coolers in a gallon freezer bag over the top opening of the machine. The mixture seems to freeze faster and more uniformly. So there, Alton.

A temperate 4th

They say in this neck of the woods that summer starts July 5. It seems especially true this year, but I was reminded by the weatherman that three years ago, it reached 107 on July 4. That stifling exception was chronicled in these pages. This year, other parts of the country are getting hammered by heat, storms that left millions without power for days on the East Coast, fires in the Rockies and floods caused by Hurricane Debby in Florida. We have been luckier, no matter how much we protest. It's been cool and rainy west of the Cascades. Today is finally perfect, 75 degrees if a bit breezy. Except for the minor annoyance of trying to resurrect a wind-toppled market umbrella from last season to use as our shade and failing miserably, it's been a beautiful day in the neighborhood. The derelict mobile home next door has finally been removed except for minor bits of debris and insulation sullying the ground, its absence added incentive to come outdoors and enjoy backyard shade again. I got out the weed-whacker two days ago and thoroughly groomed our fringes, sneaking over the line to eradicate some vegetation annoying me where the old trailer used to be. Mom is gradually feeling a little better. She took her walker out for a spin this morning and put a small flag on Dad's grave. Yesterday, I found a larger flag and put it on the front railing, where it is proudly waving next to our hanging baskets. Mom has a day lily blooming, and I have leaf lettuce and several small zucchini coming on. It's time for a 4th of July barbecue. The menu includes grilled low-fat hamburgers on whole wheat buns, plus grilled corn on the cob, potato salad, homemade baked beans and a melon relish. Dessert: A slice of seedless watermelon or leftover strawberry shortcake. I had half a large Hami melon that was not as sweet as it had looked, and in anticipation of our watermelon, I decided to do a variation on cantaloupe relish. Melon Relish: 1/2 a Hami melon, cut into small cubes (or use half a Persian melon or a small cantaloupe); 1/3 small sweet onion, finely diced; 1/2 small red sweet pepper, diced; 1 large clove garlic, minced; 2 basil leaves, cut in fine chiffonade; 1 tsp. dried cilantro (I didn't have fresh); 2 tsp. chives; 1/3 cup erythritol; 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar; salt and freshly ground pepper Place ingredients in a container with a tight lid, shake and refrigerate, shaking again a couple of times before serving. Homemade Barbecue Sauce: In a small saucepan, slightly sizzle: 2 T. finely chopped onion, 1 T. finely chopped red sweet pepper, 1 clove minced garlic 2 small pieces of bay leaf, 1 basil leaf cut into fine strips. Add 2 T. apple cider vinegar and stir,(don't breathe in the fumes), then add: 1/3 cup white wine (I used chardonnay), 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. sweet smoked Spanish paprika, 1 T. honey mustard, 2 T. agave syrup, 1 T. oyster sauce, 2 T. green chili salsa, 1 T. Bufalo chipotle sauce, 1 tsp. dark molasses, 1/3 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used low sugar), 1/4 tsp. dried lemon zest, small dash (about 1/4 tsp.) powdered ginger, and 1/2 tsp. Cajun spice rub. Simmer on low five minutes or until the flavors blend. This can be used on burgers, ribs, pork, etc. Do not add it to food on the grill until the meat is nearly done or it will burn. I used a couple of tablespoons to flavor the homemade baked beans, with added molasses, mustard, onion and some turkey bacon. Old-Fashioned Potato Salad: Microwave 5 medium russet potatoes in their skins to just past the al dente stage (5-6 minutes in my microwave). Boil 2 eggs (Bring to boil 1-2 minutes, turn off heat 5 minutes, then cool in cold water, peel and dice. In a glass or ceramic casserole dish with a cover, add 1/3 sweet onion, finely chopped; 8-10 tall sprigs fresh chives, use scissors to snip to 1/4" lengths; 3 sprigs lemon thyme; remove leaves by stripping the 'wrong' way; 1/3 cup chopped bread and butter pickles, 1/3 cup dill relish; 2 T. honey mustard, 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar(unflavored); 8-10 olives, chopped; 1/4 cup pickle juice; 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise; 1/3 cup buttermilk; salt and freshly ground pepper Add all but the potatoes and eggs to the casserole dish and combine. Dice the potatoes, add the chopped eggs and mix everything together, adding a little more mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar or salt if needed. Refrigerate at least a couple hours before serving. P.S. The melon relish was amazing. However, I had just put the corn on the grill when the neighbor to the north came right up to the fence not 15 feet from where I was preparing food, and began spraying a pesticide/herbicide. I might have forgiven him if this was the first time, but he's done it before. I don't know his name, and as far as I know I have never done anything to him. Mom and I were forced to pack up everything in a big hurry and finish dinner inside, cooking the burgers under the broiler. I don't know why he chose to be such an ass on the first nice day, just when Mom and I were enjoying sitting in the shade, sipping our iced tea and anticipating our 4th of July barbecue. He managed to make me angry and ruin our dinner. Thanks a lot. He must be a very unhappy person.