1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets
1 cup drained, cooked Rancho Gordo
Black Calypso beans
1 tablespoon capers with juice
1 oil-packed anchovy fillet (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ inch-thick slices crusty artisan
bread (1 per person if the loaf is fat or
round, 2 if the loaf is smaller)
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
and drizzling
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for
garnishing
Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings
Preheat the oven to 400F
Place a steamer rack over (but not touching) water in a large saucepan. Add the cauliflower, bring
to a boil, and cook until soft, about 6 minutes.
Remove the cauliflower from the pan, reserving
some of the water, and let the cauliflower cool
slightly.
Put the cauliflower, beans, capers, anchovy (if
using), and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a
blender. Blend until smooth. You may need to
stir the mixture with a rubber spatula to get the
blades going but try to avoid adding more liquid.
If you need more liquid, use the reserved steaming water. Transfer to a bowl. You will have about
2 cups. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Brush the bread slices with olive oil. Arrange the
slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until
crisp but still tender inside, about 7 minutes.
Spread the bean mixture on the toasted bread.
Sprinkle with parsley and then drizzle with olive
oil. Serve on a large platter.
Substitution note: Any of the cranberry or
runner beans make a fantastic spread for bread,
and all will pair well with the flavors here.

2 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Moro beans, drained,
plus 6 cups bean broth (or a combination of bean
broth and chicken or vegetable stock)
2 roma tomatoes
½ medium onion, roughly chopped
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 corn tortillas, cut into strips
Salt to taste
1 pound good-quality Mexican longaniza (see
note above), casing removed
Crumbled Mexican cotija cheese for serving
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Heat a nonstick skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Place the tomatoes on the skillet
and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until
charred on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the tomatoes from the pan and transfer
to a blender or food processor, along with the
onion; puree until smooth.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot (such as a dutch
oven) over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons
of the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the
tortilla strips and fry, stirring, until crisp. Remove
to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
In the same pot, add the remaining oil, and heat
over medium heat. Add the longaniza and cook,
stirring, until cooked through and slightly crisp,
10 to 15 minutes. Remove the longaniza using a
slotted spoon; set aside.
To the pot with the remaining longaniza grease,
add the tomato-onion mixture. Cook until the
mixture reduces to a thicker consistency, about
8 minutes.
In the blender, combine the beans and the
6 cups of bean broth and puree until smooth.
Add to the pot with the tomato mixture.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the
heat to a very gentle simmer and cook until it
reaches a creamy consistency, about 10 minutes.
Taste and add salt if needed. Remove the pot
from the heat and stir in the longaniza and
tortilla strips. Serve the soup in bowls, topped
with cotija cheese.

For the picada:
1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup whole hazelnuts, skin on (or almonds)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
For the soup:
1 pound cooked Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca
beans (about 6 cups cooked beans); broth reserved for
soup, if desired
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh minced thyme (or 1/8 tsp dried)
1/4 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary (or 1/8 tsp dried)
1 fresh bay leaf (or 1/2 dried)
1/3 cup tomato passata (often labeled "tomato
puree")
About 11/2 cups vegetable stock and 11/2 cups bean
broth (3 cups total liquid)
Makes 4 to 6 servings
First, make the picada: Place a small skillet over
medium heat. Add the hazelnuts and toast, shaking the skillet regularly, until the nuts are golden
and fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the hazelnuts to a clean tea towel.
Bundle up and rub vigorously with hands to remove most of the skin. (No need to do this with
almonds.)
Roughly chop the hazelnuts, then add to a
blender, or into a vessel large enough to fit the
head of a stick blender. Add the parsley, garlic,
oil, and salt. Blend until the mixture has a consistency similar to pesto. Set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil.
Add the garlic, onion, herbs, and bay leaf and
cook, stirring, until the onion is a deep golden
brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomato passata, reduce the heat to low,
and cook until the tomato thickens and darkens
in color, another 8 minutes or so.
Stir in the beans and the vegetable stock. Simmer very gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Transfer about a cup of the soup to a blender,
or into a vessel large enough to fit the head of a
blender stick. Blend until smooth, then stir back
into the soup. Remove the bay leaf.
Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of
the picada. Taste the soup and add more salt if
needed. Divide among bowls, topping

¼ cup pearl barley
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving
3 ounces smoked or plain pancetta, diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium potato, preferably yellow
Finn or Yukon gold, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
3 to 4 cups cooked borlotti, pinto, or cranberry
beans, drained
1 large sage leaf
8 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, leaves only, chopped (divided use)
1 fresh rosemary sprig, leaves only, chopped
3 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 6
Combine the barley with 4 cups cold water in
a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about
45 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and pancetta
in a heavy 6-quart soup pot or Dutch oven over
medium heat. Sauté until the pancetta renders
most of its fat and begins to brown, about 10
minutes. Add the onion, carrot, potato, celery,
and garlic; continue cooking until the vegetables
begin to soften, about 3 minutes longer. Add the
beans, sage, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, rosemary,
basil, bay leaf, and 8 cups cold water; increase
heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat; simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender
(or use an immersion blender in the pot) and process until mostly smooth; there should be some
pieces of beans remaining. Return the puree to
the pot, season to taste with salt and pepper, and
add the cooked barley. Bring to a simmer over
medium heat; cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the barley from sticking to the pot.
Top each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and a
sprinkling of chopped parsley.

For the dressing:
3 tablespoons Rancho Gordo La Paloma sauce
(or your favorite hot sauce)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from 1 large lime
3 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo King City
Pink beans
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1/4 red onion, chopped or thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced (or to taste)
2 avocados, diced
1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken (optional)
1 cup cotija queso, crumbled or grated
Fresh lime juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Makes 4 to 6 servings
To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk
together the hot sauce, olive oil, and lime juice.
Whisk until the mixture emulsifies, forming a
thick and creamy dressing. Set aside while you
prepare the salad.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans,
peppers, cabbage, onion, and serrano chile. Before
serving, add the chicken, if using, followed by the
avocado and parsley. Gently toss the ingredients
to distribute evenly. Pour the dressing over the
salad mixture. Sprinkle the cotija cheese over the
top of the salad. Give everything a final toss, then
taste and adjust the seasonings as needed,

Adapted from Culinaria Afrodescendiente de
Tamiahua by Dora Elena Careaga Gutierrez.
1½ cups masa
2 cups water
2 tablespoons lard (can be substituted with
olive oil)
Salt
1/4 of an onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, cut into halves or thirds
3 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Chiapas Black beans
4 cups bean broth from the Chiapas beans
3 sprigs fresh epazote
Makes 4 servings
In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of masa and mix
in ½ cup of water, 1 tablespoon of lard or oil, and
⅛ teaspoon of salt. Knead the masa into a ball to
ensure the ingredients are well-mixed. The masa
will be ready when there is no visible flour and it
holds together without falling apart. This will be
used to make the orejitas (masa balls).
To make the orejitas, use the masa to make small
balls, about the size of ping-pong balls, and make
a dent in the center with your thumb.
In a medium saucepan, boil 2½ cups of water.
Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and add the orejitas; let them cook for
10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes is over, leave
the orejitas in the pot. You will use them later on.
In a blender, combine ½ cup of masa with
1½ cups of water and blend until there is no masa
visible. Set aside; this will be used in the beans.
In a soup pot, warm 1 tablespoon of lard or oil
over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onion
and garlic; saute until golden brown. Add the
3 springs of epazote, the beans, and the 4 cups
of broth. Using a strainer, pass the masa-water
mixture from the blender into the pot of beans,
removing any lumps that may have formed. The
color of the broth will become a bit lighter. Cook
for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring, then add the masa
orejitas. Bring the pot to a simmer, and cook for
another 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the
seasonings, then serve.