This week my family had my favorite meal: Rice and beans and peas, chicken, and salad.
Only this time, the rice and beans were a little different.
I am used to black-eyed peas with my yellow rice but to try something new my dad opened up a package from Gustiamo. Usually he sits the beans in water for a while before cooking them (I think it speeds up the process); however, this time he forgot. He thought for some reason they would not take as long since they were mixed with the peas.
Nevertheless, he let them sit on the stove a little longer and they came out just fine. (It was just a long wait).
I googled Umbria and found out that this is a landlocked region…Why is that important?
Anyways, back to the beans. My dad mixed them with yellow seasonal rice and it was simple but enjoyable.
Looking at Gustiamo.com I am not sure if the kind that I ate are ZUPPA FANTASIA or ZUPPA MINESTRONE. I am not a bean expert like Alessandro and Rosalba Cappelletti but one thing I know, they are doing a good job.
Keep up the good wook!
I also like the Gustiamo soups, I have tried the zuppa rustica and the zuppa fantasia so far. Both are very different from each other, but both very good. I love experimenting with these ingredients, so I am adding sometimes more vegetables, other times a leftover rest from tomato sauce, or vegetarian (fake) meats. Each time a different result.
I think your Dad is right, you should soak the beans before cooking them. The hulls have to break open, and that will take much longer if you just start cooking them unsoaked. Peas, barley and lentils don’t need soaking, because they are already hulled (peas, barley) or their hulls are very thin (lentils).
A tipp for the zuppa fantasia: after it has cooked and is served on a plate, put some spoonfulls of a good olive oil over that! The Tratturello is a good option (I read that you have that), but any other GOOD olive oil is suitable too. (Gustiamo has only outstanding oils, so you can’t go wrong by using any of theirs)
You wouldn’t believe it, but this topping of the UNCOOKED (raw) oil is really making the whole dish different. We have tried it with and without, to experience the difference. It makes it really fresher, I think.
Interesting that you are serving the salad on the same plate as the warm parts. Wouldn’t the dressing of the salad run into the beans? Or is that the wanted effect? Maybe I should try that too, never thought about that.
I’ve notice that a lot of people call the beans ‘soup’..why is that?
Thank you for the tip for the Zuppa Fantasia! My family never tried it with olive oil and I agree with you, the Tratturello is good!
As for the salad on the same plate as my chicken and zuppa, my Mom always served us like that when we were little, so as we got older it became the correct way to serve.
But you are right, the salad dressing does run into the beans but as my mom used to say to us when we complained about our foods touching- ‘It’s all going the same place!’