These beans

When I was 5 or 6, my sister and her friend rewrote the lyrics to Top 40 hits of the day and recorded them on cassette tape. They were hilarious. I loved it because it was humor I could understand at that young age. I remember them spending more than one occasion turning songs like Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love" into a song about a sandbox romance called "Saving All My Mud," and, as pertains to this post, Heart's "These Dreams" into "These Beans." The lyric "White skin...in linen..." became "Green beans...on china..." and to this day, the rewritten chorus gets stuck in my head: "These beans go on when I close my eyes..."

Which brings me to yet another post about beans. These beans are not the most attractive. But I will say they are among the best I've made. I did not plan ahead but I did have a free Saturday morning to quick-soak them (bring beans to boil in plenty of water, boil for a minute, then cover and leave off heat for an hour), as opposed to soaking them overnight. These beans turned out just as tender and creamy, and were ready by lunchtime. While they cooked, I washed windows. Several days later, as we ate the last serving of the beans, a bird had pooped on those windows. Seriously. Do shiny surfaces just encourage avian relief? "White poop...on window..."

Anyway, these beans are good. I'm trying to eat fewer carbs these days (greetings, My 30s Metabolism), but beans, these or otherwise, are simply part of a well-balanced diet. Take or leave the bread - I would be happy to add a bit more liquid and just call it soup. The roasted garlic makes it rich and sweet. The thyme adds a tingle. Just close your eyes and you will see, truly, that these beans do go on, as the reimagined song goes.

Here's the recipe:

These Smothered Beans (adapted from Food 52)
serves 4

1/2 lb. dried white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), pre-soaked
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, top cut off to expose cloves
olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 400F. Place garlic on a small sheet of foil and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat the tops of the cloves. Wrap the foil around it completely and set on a baking sheet. When oven is preheated, bake for 35-40 minutes, until the garlic is tender. Unwrap and let cool.

Meanwhile, saute celery and onion in a large pot in the olive oil over medium heat. Once the vegetables become translucent and tender (7-10 minutes), add in the bay leaves and beans and enough water so it is about an inch over the beans. Stir, bring to a boil, then back down to a simmer. Cover and cook 50 minutes, or until the beans are becoming tender. Simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes. Skim most of water off the top and then add the salt, pepper and thyme. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the pot and mash bean mixture with a potato masher to your desired consistency. This mixture will thicken with time, and it stores well in the fridge for a few days. Serve warm with toast!