Nothing beats pulling a bubbling cassoulet out of the oven. Our Cassoulet beans are West Coast–grown from classic French Tarbais seed stock, and have been bred for this slow-baked dish. Something magical happens when you bake these beans. The texture changes and they become firm, yet creamy. It's hard to explain, but we suggest you give it a try.

We tried to take advantage of the summer bounty for a dish that comes together in under an hour if you have cooked beans on hand.

• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, plus more for topping
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (crusty bread torn into small chunks or cut into cubes)
• 1 large tomato, sliced, plus 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 pound summer squash, very thinly sliced
• 2 ears of corn, kernels removed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus more for finishing
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 to 4 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Cassoulet beans, Ayocote Blanco, Royal Corona, or Flageolet drained, some cooking liquid reserved
• 4 oz pancetta or bacon, chopped (optional)
• Grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
• Minced fresh mint or basil

Serves 4

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an oven-proof gratin dish.
2. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add bread crumbs and stir, frying until light golden. Set aside.
3. Arrange the tomato slices so they cover the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of squash slices, then top with corn kernels and cherry tomatoes. Save about one-fourth of the squash, corn, and cherry tomatoes for the top layer. Sprinkle with the minced garlic, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Add a layer of beans on top of the vegetables. Pour about 1/4 cup of bean broth over the beans (just enough to wet them). Over the beans, add another layer of squash, corn, and cherry tomatoes. Top with the breadcrumbs and pancetta, if using. Drizzle with olive oil or, if you prefer, dot with butter.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden and the squash is tender. Before serving, drizzle with a bit more olive oil and dust with a generous amount of cheese, fresh herbs, and more lemon zest.

Note for the pressure cooker fans: We cooked unsoaked Cassoulet beans in an Instant Pot for 40 minutes, with natural pressure release (NPR).