This hearty vegetarian dish from NYT Cooking is nutritious and economical. Wash, blanch and chop kale. Cook onion, carrots and celery, then add garlic and tomato paste. Add dried beans, spices and kale, bring to a simmer and then bake in the oven for about three hours. Mix olive oil with breadcrumbs, sprinkle on top of the beans and bake for about 30 minutes to one hour.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Simple brand tomato paste is free of additives. Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I whirled some Ace Bakery bread (which is usually free of additives and preservatives) in the food processor to make the breadcrumbs.

Slow-baked beans with kale

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, stemmed and washed in two changes of water

3 tablespoons (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 2/3 cups (415 ml) white beans (¾ pound/340 g) or dried lima beans, picked over and soaked for at least four hours and drained

1 6-ounce (170 g) can tomato paste, dissolved in 1 cup (250 ml) water

3 cups (750 ml) additional water

A bouquet garni consisting of 4 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs and a bay leaf

1 teaspoon (5 ml) herbes de Provence

Salt

A generous amount of freshly ground pepper

½ cup (125 ml) bread crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F (107 C). Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Blanch for two minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain, squeeze out water and cut into ribbons. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the olive oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof casserole. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the dissolved tomato paste and bring to a simmer.

Add the drained beans, the remaining water, the bouquet garni, herbes de Provence and salt and pepper. Stir in the kale, bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Bake three hours until the beans are tender and creamy. Taste and adjust salt. Make sure that the beans come to a simmer on top of the stove before placing them in the oven. Do not use old beans, which will not soften no matter how long you simmer them. If the beans do not soften in the oven after a couple of hours, raise the heat to 300 degrees F (149 C).

Mix together the remaining olive oil and the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the beans and continue to bake another 30 minutes to an hour until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Remove from the heat and serve; or allow to cool slightly and serve. Serve 6. Make ahead: You can make this recipe through until the end of the three-hour baking time then cool and store in the refrigerator up to four days ahead of serving. Top with the breadcrumbs and reheat in a 350-degree F (177 C) oven for 15 minutes until the beans are bubbling and the breadcrumbs lightly browned.

From NYT Cooking