We would like to thank WISHTV for letting us be a part of their Indy Style show last Monday. Chef Wendell Fowler and Lisa Hurst were on air to educate viewers on the many health benefits of cooking with lentils, and also to promote the upcoming Orchard in Bloom garden show here in Indianapolis. Hurst Beans is a long time sponsor of the annual event. (Click image above for video)

Last Sunday in the Hurst Bean Field we hosted our 5th annual Hurst Bean Cook-off. Every year our season pass holders showcase their best bean recipes in hopes of taking home the grand prize: Next years’ HBF Colts season pass! As always, there were some amazingly delicious and creative entries. We’d like to congratulate Matt and Brandy Fultz on their awesome “Hurst Bean Shepherds Pie” which had incredible flavor and is definitely one of the best tasting dishes ever submitted at the cook-off (recipe below!). Some of the other highlights included the Dugan’s “Italian White Bean Egg-rolls”, and our runner-up Jen Tudor’s “White Bean & Sweet Corn Queso”. See below for some pictures from the event or click HERE to view them all on our Flickr page.

Beanfield Tailgate Bake (Shepherd’s Pie)

(The wonderful thing about a Shepherd’s Pie type dish is you can combine just about anything you have available around the kitchen.  For this recipe, we decided to combine some of our favorite tailgating ingredients (sausage, beer and cheese) purchased from local retailers.)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb garlic sausage purchased from Smoking Goose  (http://www.smokinggoose.com/)
• 3 shallots or half a small onion, chopped
• 2 C corn
• 2 C Hurst white beans
• Beer cheese sauce (Welsh rarebit) – recipe below
• 3 lb potatoes (I prefer golden flesh potatoes) for mashed potatoes
• Favorite biscuit, crust or canned biscuits – enough for about 2-3 biscuits
• Salt, pepper, milk, butter to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 2 ½ qt casserole dish with cooking spray.  Firmly press and spread the biscuits on the bottom of the casserole dish, forming a thin layer on the bottom.  Place in oven for 5-7 minutes until almost done.

In a separate saucepan, boil the potatoes and drain.  Once cooked, smash and add the butter, milk, salt, pepper and/or your favorite mashed potato ingredients.  Set aside.

Remove sausage from casings and crumble the sausage in a skillet to cook.  When the sausage is almost thoroughly cooked, add the chopped onions and cook until translucent.   Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

Layer the corn, beans, sausage, and pour the cheese sauce over the entire dish.  Finish with a layer of mashed potatoes (you may have some mashed potatoes leftover, depending on your preference for how much to add.)

(If you prefer a little more liquid, you may add some chicken or vegetable stock prior to finishing with the mashed potatoes; however, I have found with this recipe, it isn’t needed.)

Place in oven and cook about 25-30 minutes until the edges begin to brown and the sides become bubbly.  It may be easier, and less messy, to cook on a cookie sheet.  You can also make this dish in separate ramekins or smaller casserole dishes, varying the ingredients to individual taste.  I prefer to serve and eat this dish immediately.

Beer Cheese Sauce (Welsh Rarebit) Recipe

(Adapted from an Alton Brown recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbl unsalted butter
• 2 Tbl all purpose flour
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tso freshly ground black pepper
• ½ C porter or stout beer (We used Bier Brewery’s award winning stout – http://www.bierbrewery.com/)
• ¾ C heavy cream
• 7 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese (Let the folks from Goose the Market guide you towards a delicious cheese – http://goosethemarket.com/)

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour.  Cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to brown the flour.  Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until smooth.  Add beer and whisk to combine.  Pour in cream and whisk until well combined and smooth.  Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth, which will take about 4-5 minutes.

In these economic times, everyone is looking for ways to cut corners, especially in the grocery aisle.

One solution: EAT MORE BEANS!