Seeing red

These are Scarlet Runner beans.

Aren't they pretty? They remind me of Michelle Obama's dress from Election Night, the red and black Narciso Rodriguez confection that caused such an unholy ruckus. All things considered, I might rather have the bean than the dress. After all, I can afford a Scarlet Runner. A whole bag of them, actually. Which is exactly what I bought on Sunday.

I took myself on a field trip to Kalustyan's, which is the kind of store that makes me realize again and again what Candyland could be like. But instead of lollipops and molten chocolate, Kalustyan's has walls of spices and beans, and a hundred different chutneys and forty kinds of rice and nuts and dried fruit, and boxes of fresh baklava and other honeyed treats. Being there made me think of the first time I had Turkish Delight, having wondered what it was ever since I read about the temptation of Edmund Pevensie. I was in Istanbul once and bought a little box from a shop in the shadow of the Blue Mosque, thinking it was the proper thing to do; we'd been drinking Turkish coffee, and we'd already eaten loads of kebab and bought a rug at the Grand Bazaar, so of course I needed to find out about Turkish Delight. I was also finding out about this guy who said sure, he'd go to Turkey with me, even though it had never really occurred to him -- this man who still held my hand after a week of searching through Istanbul and each other, discovering corners where new tales and old secrets lurked.

I took one bite of the gummy, sticky Turkish Delight and threw it out. But I kept the man.

Anyway, I'd been searching for a place in New York for Scarlet Runners and other heirloom beans, and Kalustyan's is it. I love ordering from Steve Sando, but I wanted to find a source in my hometown before having some shipped from the other side of the country. I can't tell you if these beans are truly heirloom -- I have a sneaking suspicion that they're not -- but they're good. So good, in fact, that I couldn't even wait to cook them, and threw them in a bowl of water to soak as soon as I got home.

So on Monday night, we had Scarlet Runner beans with garam masala and onion over sauteed cabbage, and it was so tasty that I wanted to tell you about it. I realize I'm advising you to cook beans and cabbage; it sounds like something served to rotten children in a Roald Dahl book, not far from a few potatoes and onions bobbing in a weak broth, being slurped up by little boys with hollow eyes and peaked faces. But believe me, these are not just any beans. When soaked, the Scarlet Runner swells up to the size of a date, and its flesh is so rich that it could almost be called meat. You soak and simmer the beans until done and then cook them up with some warm spices and onion, and heap them over sweet, tender cabbage with a little coriander seed for zest. It's a good meal for curling up on the couch and listening to the wind howl outside.

Scarlet Runner beans with garam masala

You can use this recipe as a guide, but play with the spices until you find a combination that you like. That's the gift of beans, I think -- their healthy flexibility.

1 cup Scarlet Runners

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp. garam masala, at least

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

black pepper

olive or grapeseed oil

Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Drain and put into a pot with enough water to cover them amply (give them about an inch extra; they'll need it), and bring to a boil. Cover and let them sit on a strong simmer for about an hour and 10 minutes, or until they're tender all the way through.

Towards the end of cooking the beans, chop up an onion (a medium chop is fine) and mince up the garlic. Stir over medium to high heat in a good dollop of oil, until the onion's edges are nicely browned and the kitchen smells good. Lower the heat to a low medium and add the spices, and let them mingle in the oil for a few minutes. Drain the beans, keeping about two cups of the cooking liquid, and mix them into the onions and spices. Add about a cup of the cooking liquid and let the whole mix simmer for about 15 minutes. The liquid will reduce, making a savory sauce. Feel free to add more liquid if you think it's cooking down too much.

For the cabbage:

1/2 head of cabbage (I used plain old cabbage, but I bet a Savoy would be lovely in this)

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. coriander seeds

olive or grapeseed oil

Over medium heat, warm up about 1 tablespoon of olive or grapeseed oil in a frying pan (you can also add the coriander seeds now, if you want them to have a little extra time to release their flavor). Chop the cabbage into 1/2-inch strips and add to pan. Cook, stirring frequently until the cabbage is tender. Mix in the rice vinegar and coriander seeds.

Heap the beans over the cabbage, and add some of the bean sauce to the bowl. Feeds two, with enough left over for lunch the next day.