The Artichoke and Anasazis

One of the best ways to save money in your food budget is buying in bulk. This is why I love the bulk bins at the grocery store or health food store. At the Artichoke co-op, you can get the staples (like steel cut oats, my favorite!) for about $1-3/lb. At a supermarket, you may pay over $3/lb. I usually buy a little of a lot of different items, and then I go back to my cookbooks (see the “Must-Have” cookbook list below) for recipes using these unique foods.

I picked up a pound of these beautiful brown- and white-swirled beans called Anasazi beans. I had seen them before at the Rancho Gordo stand at the San Francisco Farmers Market (when I lived there and could go every Saturday…weep). The owner of Rancho Gordo published a cookbook entitled “Heirloom Beans” which is as much of a piece of artwork as it is a cookbook for the usage of a variety of beans. I’m amazed that there are scores of varieties of beans, each with their own unique aesthetic and nutritional composition.




Anasazi beans are similar to pinto beans in their texture, size and composition. These beans are named after an ancient Indian tribe that lived in the Southwest, with dwellings dating back to 500 A.D. Strangely enough, in the 13th century, the Anasazi disappeared, and archaeologists have yet to determine the cause of this sudden loss of an entire tribe of people...

I digress…

So I’ve never been one for the overnight-bean soak, but in the interest of “walking the walk” and discontinuing my bad habit of spending over $3 for organic, no-sodium canned beans, I submerged these babies in a big bowl and let them soak it all in. The next afternoon, I rinsed them off and sent them on their way to the boiling pot of water. After only 45 minutes, they were cooked to perfection. To my surprise, the unique shell colors were gone, and now were plain tan-colored.

In a big fry pan, I sautéed chopped onions and carrots, added a whole jar of Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde, green chiles, a healthy dose of cayenne pepper, a bit of cumin, and the beans. I let this simmer for 10 minute or so, and served over 1 cup of brown rice.

“Gringa” Rice & Beans

1 cup anasazi beans, dry

3 cups brown rice, cooked

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, diced
1 white onion, chopped
16 oz. salsa verde
1 can green chiles
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin

Soak dry beans overnight. Rinse beans, and add to boiling water. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until beans are soft.
Cook brown rice according to package’s directions.
In a large fry pan or wok, sauté carrots and onions in olive oil. Add 2 cups of salsa verde, green chiles, spices, and cooked beans. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve over brown rice.



My “gringa” rice & beans got the thumbs up from TC! I also had enough left over for about 3 more leftover lunches.


Stay tuned: I’m looking forward to blogging about my next bulk bin purchase experiment with amaranth.