Libby Beans

This recipe is enough to fill a cast iron bean pot. It travels well to potlucks, and lends itself to infinite variations of beans.

1.5 cups butter beans         (large lima beans) 1.5 cups garbanzo beans 1.5 cups great northern         or small white beans 1.5 cups kidney beans 3 cups black beans 3 cups anasazi beans **		You may cook your own beans or use canned. A "regular size" (15-16 oz) can of beans equals 1 and 1/2 cups cooked beans (the measurements do not have to be exact). If using dry beans, cook them, and keep in their own liquid until used later in the recipe.
3 onions 2-3 Tbl garlic, minced 1 cup catsup or tomato sauce 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 Tbl stone ground mustard 2-4 Tbl dried red pepper		Cook onions (chopped) and garlic in a medium-large pan over medium heat until onions are semi-translucent, about 15 minutes. Add catsup or tomato sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Add 3 tablespoons stone ground mustard, prepared (or your favorite prepared mustard). Add dried red pepper (OR 1 chopped habanera, depending upon the peppers and hot/spiciness desired) Simmer over low heat, about 10 minutes.
		In the meantime, if using canned beans, wash and drain (to get rid of added sugar and salt) all but the black beans. Drain the black beans until the consistency of a very thick soup.
cast iron bean pot,     or covered casserole		Add beans to a covered bean pot or casserole dish. Remove the tomato/onion mixture from heat and mix gently with the beans - try not to smash too many. Bake, in 325 degree oven for at least an hour, preferably for two and a half hours (or longer at lower heat).

** I have not found anasazi beans canned.
    If you cannot find anasazi beans, use pinto beans.

Libby Hayward