Locally Grown:Baked beans no dry tale

I'd guess most people find it hard to be inspired by baked beans.

They are a side dish, never a main course. Their flavor is comfortable, not exotic.

Some people have to avoid them, for rather embarrassing reasons, and some people who don't, should.

Add to that the fact that there are many tasty commercial options on the market - B&M and Bush's come to mind - and you'll come to understand why cookbooks are not overflowing with recipes for this summertime staple.

But baked beans hold a special place in my food memories. They bring to mind long, sweaty summer days of harvest in South Dakota, when the hot wind would sweep the prairie and the amber waves of grain would fall to the windrower and combine. Because the quality of grain is greatly affected by its moisture, the window of opportunity for a perfect harvest is very small, so when conditions are ripe, nothing - not even dinner - gets in the way.

As an eager chef of around 5 years old, I remember wrapping a few towels around the casserole dish to keep the beans warm, then it was off to join Dad in the field for a picnic. If we were lucky, my sister and I would finish before he did, and be allowed to scramble up the side of the truck and look at the mound of oats or wheat waiting for delivery. If it was wheat, we'd try to sneak a few kernels before someone yelled, "Stop that, it'll make you sick!"

It must have been the beans that were inspiring, because I can't for the life of me tell you what we ate with them.

I've often considered changing their name from Pork and Bean Casserole, because whenever I say it, people usually grimace and politely change the subject. People who try it, though, really enjoy the tang the mustard and cider vinegar provide.

PORK AND BEAN CASSEROLE

2 cans pork and beans

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix

1/2 cup catsup

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

4 slices bacon*

In mixing bowl, combine ingredients, except bacon. Pour into a 2-quart casserole; top with bacon slices. Bake in a hot 400 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

*I usually take some additional bacon and cut it with kitchen shears into little chunks and mix it in with the beans.

My next baked bean nirvana came the first time I had Christmas dinner at my now-mother-in-law's house in Pennsylvania. She served baked beans with the holiday ham.

I politely took a helping, as I was trying to make a good impression, but I remember wondering why anyone would serve such a simple dish at a holiday meal. But the beans truly were special, large firm limas in a rich, tomato-y sauce. (They're the only baked beans my daughter will eat, I'm sad to admit.) So imagine my horror when I asked for the recipe and she exclaimed "Oh, I just dump!" I do a lot of cooking by dumping, but I need someplace to start.

The key is lots of ketchup, she says, and, "It's got to be Heinz." And now she uses canned great northern beans rather than taking the extra time with dried.

She found this recipe in one of her cookbooks, and thinks it's pretty similar to hers. Substituting ketchup for the tomato juice, of course. You'll have to dump until it feels right.

And she knows the next time she makes baked beans, she's got to write down what she dumps!

GRANDMA JANE'S BAKED BEANS

1 pound dried beans (4 to 5 cups cooked beans)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 cup vinegar

1 diced onion

1 pint tomato juice

bacon or ham

Prepare beans as desired. Mix ingredients, put in casserole. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 1 hour.

I've only taken the time to make traditional Boston Baked Beans a few times, but am always pleased with the results. They're not difficult to make, they just take a long time to cook. I love the rich, smoky flavor the molasses provides.

And just in case you think I'm copying here, I was living the adage "pork fats rules" long before I even knew who Emeril Lagasse was. My family saved all of our bacon grease in a big jar on the countertop, and used it in frying everything from eggs to home fries to cabbage.

So it should come to you as no surprise that I almost always increase the amount of bacon in any recipe that I make. The surprise is that I don't weigh 300 pounds.

I used 6 slices of bacon (two just seemed so stingy), and half of the 10-ounce package of salt pork the last time I made this dish. And, apparently taking a page from Mary F.'s book, I discovered that the Dutch oven I was using would only hold 8 cups of water with the rest of ingredients included. Luckily for me, this isn't one of those pesky chemical-reaction type recipes, so I was able to cheat. I had planned on adding the additional cup a little later in the process, after some liquid had cooked away, but in the end I just left it out.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

"Cover and Bake" from the Editors of Cooks Illustrated

4 ounces salt pork, trimmed of rind and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 ounces (about 2 slices) bacon, chopped fine

1 medium onion, minced

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon molasses

11/2 tablespoons prepared brown mustard

1 pound (about 21/2 cups) dried small white beans, rinsed and picked over

Salt

9 cups water

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Ground black pepper

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Cook the salt pork and bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the molasses, the mustard, beans, 11/4 teaspoons salt and the water; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and set in the oven. Bake until the beans are tender, about 4 hours, stirring once after 2 hours. Remove the lid and continue to bake until the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency, 1 to 11/2 hours longer. Remove the beans from the oven; stir in the remaining tablespoon of molasses and the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Barbecue fundraiser

Speaking of summertime food, the Davidsonville United Methodist Church barbecue team ministry, "The Tongues of Fire," will be selling pulled pork and chicken on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until around 2 p.m., or whenever they sell out. Tell your friends and plan on joining them for some good pulled pork or chicken for a very worthy cause. Proceeds benefit their Volunteer In Missions Project and other church ministries. Current volunteer missions are to areas in need caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Check out TOF at www.dumc.us/tonguesoffire.htm.

Davidsonville United Methodist Church is located at the intersections of routes 214 and 424 in Davidsonville.

And, just in case you are noticing a pattern here, I am not a member of Davidsonville United Methodist Church. Its members are just very dedicated to good food and good works and are good at getting the word out.

If your church or organization has something food-related on its agenda, let me know. I'd love to include it in Locally Grown.

Photo contest

As promised, here are the full details for the Punk's Backyard Grill's backyard cookout photo contest. They were already given in the online version of this column, but here's the scoop for print-only readers.

The Punk's team is looking for fun-filled backyard summertime pictures to display in its Annapolis restaurant, which will be located at Westfield Annapolis mall.

Punk's Backyard Grill wants to extend an opportunity to the Annapolis community to be involved in its grand opening and become locally famous by sharing their photos of their favorite backyard cookout experiences. The Punk's team will display photos in time for the restaurant's grand opening.

Everyone who submits a photo will receive a 15 percent off coupon as a "thank you" from Punk's Backyard Grill.

Photographs can be submitted for consideration through Sept. 15. Along with a photo, send a brief explanation describing what the photo depicts and why it fits with Punk's casual, backyard, neighborhood theme. Also, include a name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address with every photo submitted.

Photos can be submitted as digital JPEG files to info@punksbackyardgrill.com. Digital images must be 300 dpi resolution and 800 x 600 pixels.

In addition, 4-by-6-inch printed photos can be sent via U.S. mail to: PBG Annapolis LLC, c/o Backyard Cookout Photo Contest, 611 Pennsylvania Ave. S.E. Box 329, Washington, D.C. 20003

Once submitted, all photos become the property of Punk's Backyard Grill and may be displayed or used by the company for any purpose. Punk's Backyard Grill will not be able to return photos.

As Punk's Backyard Grill begins to receive submissions, many of the photos will be posted online at Punk's Backyard Grill's blog at punks backyardgrill.wordpress.com.