Bean Stew with Rosemary and Sage

This is the bean stew I served in a winter squash last week. I made enough that we ate it later in the week as well, spooned over rice.

I used a round yellowish bean the farmer I buy from calls barbecue beans. Navy beans or any other similar bean would do if you can't find barbecue beans. Adding lentils to a bean stew gives a good consistency, similar to the role ground meat or soy crumbles would play, but much healthier.

Yes, I put a whole head of garlic in the stew. But because it's roasted, you really can't tell. It adds a mellow richness to the dish. In flu season, it's good to eat lots of garlic. The rosemary and sage are also good anti-microbial herbs. I roasted the garlic in the toaster oven while the beans cooked. This is a dish which requires you to be home for a couple of hours, but that needs very little tending. The ingredients just roast and simmer away.

If you don't have fresh herbs, leave them out or use dried - about 1/4 of the amount.

Bean Stew with Rosemary and Sage
3/4 cup barbecue beans
3/4 cup brown lentils
1 head garlic
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp minced fresh sage
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3/4 cups diced carrots
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp rosemary
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp salt

Soak the beans overnight or for a few hours in plenty of cold water to cover. Drain, add to a pot of boiling water, and simmer gently until tender but not mushy. Check after an hour, and thereafter every 20 minutes or so. When they are cooked through, drain and set aside.

Separately, simmer the lentils in plenty of water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

At the same time, roast the garlic. Cut the top 1/3 off the head so the tops of the cloves are exposed. Put in a small casserole and sprinkle with the rosemary and sage, and pour the oil over top. Cover the casserole and bake in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven, lift the garlic out of the oil and set it aside to cool a little.

Warm the herbal garlicky oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté gently 5 minutes until tender. Add the carrots and smaller amounts of sage and rosemary. Stir to coat with the flavored oil, then add the tomatoes with their liquid. Stir to combine.

Squeeze the flesh of the garlic cloves out from the skin. Add the flesh to the pot along with the cooked beans, cooked lentils, and the salt and pepper to taste.

Cook, covered, about 10 minutes, until all the flavors are melded and the stew is hot, adding water as necessary to keep it a good consistency.

Serve with brown rice, or in a bowl with crackers, or in a baked squash as in the picture here.

Serves 6