Butterworks Farm Black Turtle Beans are the triumphant result of prevailing over the elements here in Vermont where dry beans can be extremely hard to grow in our wet summers. This heirloom bean originates from Southern Mexico and Central America. Its history can be traced to over 7,000 years ago. The black turtle bean has a dense, meaty texture and is very high in protein, which makes it popular in vegetarian dishes. It is an excellent choice for making into soups and chilis as it broth cooks down to a paste like consistency. You can also cook and add to salads, rice or use in my favorite dish huevos rancheros (see recipe below). It is common to keep the boiled water of these beans and consume it as a soup with other ingredients for seasoning (known as sopa negra, black soup), as a broth (caldo de frijol, bean broth) or to season or color other dishes.

Here are some tricks and instructions for cooking these little black nuggets. Number one, some sort of pre-soak is required to cook beans and will significantly reduce cooking time. Cover with 2 inches of water and soak overnight or for 6-8 hours. Drain and cover with fresh water and simmer until beans are soft, about an hour. In warm conditions, refrigerate black beans while they soak to prevent fermentation. A quick-soak method involves covering beans with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat and let sit for 2 hours. Drain, cover with fresh water and simmer until soft, about an hour. The beans may prematurely break up with a quick-soak method. Use the overnight method for dishes where it is essential the beans stay whole, such as salads and relishes. Important! Do not add salt or acidic ingredients such as lemon, vinegar, wine, and tomatoes until the beans are finished or nearly done cooking. Adding earlier can cause the beans to toughen. If additional water is needed during the cooking process, use boiling water rather than cold water. Addition of the herbs known as summer savory and epazote can help reduce the flatulence suffered by many who eat beans.

Wheat berries are the unprocessed seed (or kernel) of wheat. To make flour, dried wheat berries are ground in a mill. Unsifted, you will end up with whole wheat flour. White flour is ground wheat berries with the bran and germ (a.k.a. nutrition) removed. Instead of grinding these wheat berries, however, try cooking them. They make a great salad, pilaf, stuffing, casserole, salad garnish or substitute for rice. Soaking your wheat berries overnight will speed cooking and save energy. Soak them in cold water for 8 to 12 hours, change the water, then simmer them for about an hour. I like to cook them in plenty of water (say 4-5 cups of water to 1 cup wheat berries), then just drain any extra water off at the end. You'll know they are finished cooking once they've puffed up and they are no longer firm to the tooth. I have read that salted cooking water will make the berries tougher. While I haven't tested this theory myself, I just salt them at the end to be sure. One cup of dry wheat berries will make enough to serve a family of four. I like to make extra wheat berries when I cook them, say 2 dry cups, then use the extras for a second meal later in the week, or freeze half for later in the month.

You can think of this week's tamari as a living soy sauce, with a deeper, richer flavor. Like the miso, it is alive with beneficial bacteria, so save this tamari for flavoring your food after cooking, or using in uncooked dressings and sauces. It will last several years in your refrigerator.

Sunchokes are the tuber of a perennial flower in the sunflower/aster family and are native to North America. There are competing theories as to how they came about their other name Jerusalem artichokes. In 1605, Samuel de Champlain first saw Native Americans harvesting these sweet crunchy tubers. The Native Americans called them sun roots, but Champlain thought they tasted like artichokes and called them artichauts de Canada. The plants were also clearly a member of the sunflower family and so were also called girasole (Italian for sunflower, meaning turning to the sun). It is thought that somehow these two names merged to become Jerusalem artichokes.

Sunchokes can be eaten raw or cooked in all the same ways that you can cook potatoes. Scrub the tubers thoroughly with a brush. Peeling can be difficult because of the knobbiness and is not necessary, the peels are edible. Like potatoes the flesh will darken with exposure to air so if serving them raw, dip in acidulated water. Because of high levels of iron, stored cooked sunchokes will also turn gray. This can be minimized by adding ¼ tsp cream of tartar or 1 TB vinegar or lemon juice to the cooking water. They cook quickly and will turn to mush so monitor carefully. Sunchokes should be stored in a cool, dry place or in the vegetable drawer wrapped in paper towels to absorb moisture and sealed in a plastic bag.

These cobs of popping corn are so much fun! You can twist the corn kernels off, starting at the wide end, and use like you would any other popping corn. You can also put the whole ear in a brown paper bag, tape it closed and pop. Listen carefully as the corn pops in the microwave. When the popping slows down, take the bag out and check for progress. If you wait too long, you'll end up with burnt popcorn!