Cannellini Beans

Springtime in Knoxville



Last night we had thunderstorms. Great magnificent sparks lighting up my bedroom and claps of thunder so loud they woke me. And it snowed last night. Not the white crystals of frozen water vapor, but the white petals of ornamental pears and the pink petals of redbud. When I came down for coffee this morning my patio was covered with petals and the sky was cold and gray with rain blowing in spits and gusts. And the background was the intense golden green of spring leaves on the pears and willows and lawn. A candy-green so rich it makes your teeth hurt.

It was the sort of morning that, to me, is the archetype of spring in East Tennessee. Bitter with the end of winter and sweet with the promise summer to come. I sipped my coffee, read my paper, listened to the radio and then, over a bowl of yogurt with fruit, considered what might be good for dinner. Something Mediterranean -- hearty enough for such a chilly day, but with a promise of summer's brighter flavors.

I have friends who keep stacks of unread books around. I don’t read that way. I buy a book or two and read them. Then I buy another and read it. But I do have stacks of recipe ideas. Not actual physical stacks, mind you, nor actual recipes for that matter. But mental stacks. This morning cannellini beans made it to the top of my stack.

Although I was thinking along the lines of cassoulet, I didn't want to do anything so fancy, complicated, and time-consuming and I wanted something lighter than cassoulet usually is. I made up a quick grocery list and headed for the grocery. When I returned I assembled my ingredients:

2 19 oz cans cannellini beans
1/2 lb Italian sausage -- cut into 1/2" slices
1 md. yellow onion -- diced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 smoked turkey wing -- skin removed and diced
2 garlic cloves -- minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh sage
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
healthy pinch of red pepper flakes

I browned the Italian sausage in olive oil in a dutch oven, then I drained the excess fat from the pot. Next I lightly browned the onion and garlic in the pot.

Then added everything to the pot along with just enough chicken broth to bring the liquid level with the other ingredients.

I covered the pot and placed it in a 300F oven for 2 hours -- until a few beans began to split and release some starch into the broth for thickening.

This was a definite keeper -- especially for a spring day in East Tennessee.