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2 bay leaves 2 Tbsp. honey 1 pint grape, cherry or teardrop tomatoes (smallish is the goal), sliced in half Freshly ground black pepper Kosher salt

Directions

Soaking your beans isn’t strictly necessary, but it will help facilitate even and speedy cooking. After rinsing and sorting the beans, cover them with at least a quart of water, and let them sit on the counter or in the fridge, covered, until needed.

Soak the mushrooms about an hour before they’re needed. As you prepare to cut them, strain the liquid they soaked in through a coffee filter, and save it for later. There should be at least 1-2 cups of water remaining from the soaking.

As you prepare to cook this dish, strain all the soaking liquid off the beans, and set them aside; discard this soaking liquid.

In a large, heavybottomed cooking pot (a French oven or something of the sort), heat the oil over medium-high heat, and when it’s shimmering, add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook until the onion begins to become translucent and softens slightly, maybe 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, another 3-5 minutes at most. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Pour the reserved, strained liquid from the mushrooms into the pot, and then add the beans. Pour over water to cover by about an inch, and add the thyme, parsley stems, bay leaves, honey and several good grinds of black pepper.

Fiddle with your stove to bring the beans to a gentle simmer and hold them there at a simmer to cook until they’re done (squishably soft, but not falling apart.) This might be as little as 1 hour, or as much as 5, depending on your beans. Stir occasionally and check after 45 minutes to see how tender the beans have gotten, sampling periodically until you’re satisfied. Add liquid if needed.

As the beans begin to reach their desired doneness, check the liquid levels carefully; you don’t want to have a black bean soup here, but rather something approaching baked bean consistency. As the beans finish cooking, stir in the sliced tomatoes, and let the heat of the cooked beans begin to break them down. Let this cook for about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and fold in the chopped parsley leaves. Serve hot as a side vegetable, or over grits or polenta as a main course. Enjoy!

Chef Aaron blogs on the Facebook page of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. Reprinted with permission.

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