The fascinating history of beans reveals that the origin of the word referred to the seed of the fava, also known as the broad bean, but then expanded to include all varieties. The ChezHelvetica focus on beans, widely considered a super food, included Old World types like the fava and garbanzo and New World species black and red. Grilled Fava Beans with their wonderful smoky flavor sided perfectly with Bacon Wrapped, Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts, a recipe showing up all over Facebook. Garbanzo Beans were showcased in a San Francisco Chronicle feature with its Orzo, Roasted Asparagus, Garbanzo Beans & Ricotta Cheese recipe, Orzo replaced here by Penne Pasta. Red Beans in a salad with London Broil, Fingerling Potatoes and Goat Cheese was another delicious dish and finally, Black Beans with Quesadillas. The Quesadillas were stuffed with Caramelized Onions and Cheddar, Goat and Mozzarella Cheeses and folded to a half moon shape, the perfect fit for a grill pan. While the term “bean counter” first appeared in 1919 in reference to accountants, bean counting has taken on a whole new meaning at ChezHelvetica!
