All-I-Want-for-Christmas Navy Beans

Ingredients
1 pound dried navy beans
3 large yellow onions
1 medium red cabbage
1 bunch celery
olive oil
salt
black pepper
non-chlorinated water
Chablis

Procedure
I carefully inspected a pound of navy beans, and threw out a few that were past their prime. I covered them with good water and soaked them for a full 24 hours -- to the point of sprouting -- changing the water three times.

I gently boiled them for almost three hours in a covered pan with two inches of water above the beans, five chopped celery stalks, and half a chopped yellow onion. Near the midpoint I added black pepper and a little salt.

The chopped onions and cabbage were slowly reduced in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil at low temperature in an uncovered casserole pan, and seasoned with plenty of pepper at the start and a little salt at the midpoint.

When the water was gone from the beans, I served the beans topped with some thoroughly sauteed yellow onions and red cabbage, which had become unbelievably delicious -- a sweet and sour like I have never tasted.

Once I verified that I had died and was headed to Heaven, I poured a glass or two of freezer-chilled Chablis to finish the trip.

Lordy, Lordy! Dem wuz some mighty fine eatin' beanz, lemme tell ya. And no animals were sacrificed in the preparation, as far as I know.

Potential modifications
This is energy intensive, so it's best suited for the winter, when the stove is not competing with the air conditioner in the 110-degree desert.

Next time I will try Great Northern beans, which I was raised on. In our family, the "Italian beans" and homemade garlic bread were a welcome substitute for birthday cake, breakfast cereal, pie, ice cream, chocolate, and beer.

I'll add a bell pepper to the beans.

I'll double the quantity so it will last longer. This is too good.

Credit: Mary Sparrowdancer
Blame: Mark Yannone