We've been thinking a lot lately about food. Of course, we always think a lot about food. The difference is, we've been thinking about how we'll eat when we're spending lots of time on the boat - at anchor, underway, or at a dock - because we still anticipate getting our cruising boat (soon) and spending a couple of years trying out the cruising lifestyle.
In thinking about eating while afloat, one can't avoid the probability that certain staples - to wit: beans and rice - are going to form a substantial part of the every day diet. There are lots of reasons for this - chief among them, the dry ingredients don't require refrigeration, and you can easily make up small batches suitable for providing a meal for only two people. One first mate wrote some time back that she knew a thousand different ways to prepare beans and rice. I don't, but I do know that small amounts of additives can add a great variety of flavor to both of these staples.
I'm not going to talk about rice in this blog, because I'd rather talk about my successful experiment in creating black bean soup. Unlike most of my efforts, I didn't research the task beforehand, so the entire process came right out of Yours-Truly's own brain.
This recipe is designed to be cooked in a 2 quart electric crock pot. Now you may think that using a crock pot aboard a boat is unlikely, but that isn't necessarily so. Electric power is often available at dock, and many boats have facilities for generating substantial power. So let's pretend that whatever boat we end up on will be able to support the use of a crock pot, at least occasionally.
Suggested Equipment:
- Stock pot, 3 or 4 quart
- Electric slow cooker, 2 quart
- Common kitchen tools and measures
Ingredients:
| Item | Amount | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black beans | Dry | 8 | oz |
| Okra, Corn, & Tomato mix | Nominal 15 oz can | 1 | ea |
| Stir Fry Mix1 | Frozen, Bell peppers & onions | 1 | cup |
| Pork | Smoked - Bacon, ham, or boneless hamhock | 4 | oz |
| Chives | Diced, dried or fresh | 1 | Tbs |
| Garlic | Dry, granulated | 1 | tsp |
| Salt | Common | 1 | tsp |
| Sauce | Hot pepper2 | 1 | tsp |
| Cilantro | Dry, ground | ¼ | tsp |
| Cayenne | Dry, ground | ⅛ | tsp |
| Water | to | fill | |
| Cheese2,3 | Pepper-jack, sandwich slices | 4 | ea |
Directions:
Begin preparations the evening before you plan to serve the soup.
Carefully look over the dry beans and pick out any debris you might find. Dry beans sometimes have some surprising bits in them. Wash the beans in plain water until the water you pour off runs clear.
Put the beans in the 2-or 4-quart stock pot. Cover with fresh water to twice or three times the depth of the dry beans alone. Don't be stingy with water. It's cheap, and the beans will soak up a lot! In doing so, they will expand a lot, too! Let the beans soak overnight.
The next morning, pour off the soak-water, and gently wash the beans again. Wash and pour off until the water you pour off runs clear again.
Drain the beans through a mesh sieve, and put the drained beans in your 2 quart crock pot.
Add all the remaining ingredients except water and cheese. Stir to distribute components evenly.
Add enough water to fill the pot and switch it on "high". When it reaches a boil, reduce heat to "low". Let it cook (covered) all day, stirring frequently. Add back any water lost to evaporation. It'll be ready for supper.
The soup is ready when the beans are done. The color of the beans will have changed from solid black to more of dark reddish color, and the bean will be soft enough to chew without any crunch. Ladle the finished soup into bowls, and garnish with slices of pepper jack cheese, if desired.
This recipe goes well with Mariner's Corn Bread on the side. Makes four large servings.
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