October beans smoked turkey, and kale makes the perfect bowl of comfort. Spoonfuls of veggies, shredded, slow-cooked turkey meat, kale, and creamy October beans with enough steamy broth to make it all go down nice and really tasty. A great fall or winter recipe that goes so well with the chill that is in the air at that time of the year.
October beans.
October beans, sometimes called cranberry beans, cook a great bowl of creamy beans which sounded perfect for this time of the year. In my research, I discovered that, at one time, most people of the southern Appalachians grew at least one variety of October beans. The traditional Appalachian way of cooking the beans is with smoked ham hocks, low and slow until they are tender and creamy; accompanied by a corn muffin. The color of the beans is stunning, however, after cooking they lose the vibrant color – what a shame, however, the creaminess of the beans makes up for it.
Don’t be intimidated, cook your own stock:
Cooking fresh a good stock is one of my favorite things to do. The challenge with cooking stock is producing maximum flavor with pretty much inexpensive ingredients. I cook my stocks from less expensive cuts of meat or with inexpensive trimmings and bones. My recipe for Turkey Stock is another great example of a recipe that is easy to execute.
Turkey Stock
Turkey stock is the perfect light stock for cooking legumes or vegetables.
I’m using smoked turkey legs because I want to add that layer of smokiness to my beans and more importantly, I like to control the sodium and fat that I add to my recipes. It’s traditional cooking to season collard greens or beans with smoked pork, usually the ham hock portion. Using a ham hock for a stock gives you way too many calories and sodium. I use smoked turkey legs, fewer calories, and less sodium with the same awesome smokey flavor
The fact is that some foods just do not have enough elements that produce the flavor you are looking for.
Can you imagine cooking the October beans with kale using only water? Cooked only with water the October beans will create creaminess, but that’s all. You need a stock to add that layer of flavor. Bones and meats, like a whole chicken or a smoked turkey leg, produce flavor and gelatine, adding spices and veggies kicks everything up a notch. Stock adds flavor, color, and richness to my cooking, and slow-cooked stocks you always will find in my freezer.
Purchased chicken stock or bases:
Feel free to use purchased chicken stock in my recipe, just make sure to select a good quality product.
Most purchased stocks are usually very high in sodium and contain Autolyzed yeast extract. Autolyzed yeast extract is a substance that results when yeast is broken down into its constituent components. It naturally contains free glutamic acid, or monosodium glutamate, and is often used as a less expensive substitute for MSG.
If you have the space buy a freezer:
A freezer will enable you to cook stocks in larger quantities and keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months and use them as needed.
A freezer will also enable you to purchase meats in bulk, say a whole pig or a quarter of a cow is one way to eat on a budget.
Purchase produce at the height of its season and freeze. Freezing does not significantly reduce the nutritional value of the produce. You may be surprised, research shows that certain frozen produce might have the edge over fresh when it comes to health.
Served with shaved parmesan cheese and a piece of grilled crusty farmer’s bread, October beans, smoked turkey, and kale is a quick nutritionally balanced meal.
October Beans, Smoked Turkey and Kale
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb October beans
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 20 oz celery diced
- 20 oz carrots diced
- 20 oz onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 16 oz canned tomatoes diced
- 6 cups turkey stock
- 2 each bay leaf
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- 1/2 tsp thyme leaves
- 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 tsp pepper black ground
- 1 bunch kale
Instructions
Schell the beans
- Open the bean pods with a light squeeze and zip out the beans by running your finger down the inside of the pod. (or use dried October Beans)3 lb October beans
Sautee the vegetables
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent. Add chopped garlic, bay leaf, thyme, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin.1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 20 oz celery, 20 oz carrots, 20 oz onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 each bay leaf, 1 tsp cumin, ground, 1/2 tsp thyme leaves, 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 3/4 tsp pepper black, 6 cups turkey stock
Add beans and stock
- Add beans, diced tomatoes, and turkey stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about one hour until beans are tender. During cooking, stir frequently and add turkey stock, as needed.16 oz canned tomatoes
Add kale
- Add kale, and the pulled meat from turkey legs, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese and grilled bread.1 bunch kale
Chef Notes
- As with all stocks I sometimes reduce stock to a glace, pour it into an ice cube tray, and freeze it. Once they are frozen, shake them out from the tray and store them in freezer bags, and use as needed.
- Chilling the stock: The fat will rise to the top in a solid layer, so it makes it easy the remove the fat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate