More Love for the Big Beans

Glazed in a skillet with balsamic and a bit of maple — plus fennel and radicchio

Two good things about the cold weather: One, it is thee season for stovetop simmering, and two, all the beautiful chicories are showing up at the farmers markets. In today’s recipe, we revel in both.

I find that the “big beans,” such as these gem-like Christmas Limas, particularly benefit from the extra care of well attended stovetop simmering, instead of, say, using your Instant pot.* It’s easy to over-cook them, which is a shame because they’re such a delight when they’re irresistible little nuggets to snatch one-by-one from the plate with a fork.

What I had in mind here was maple baked beans, but quicker and a little lighter — more “lightly glazed” than “thickly enveloped” — and the balsamic profile works really well. And the addition of just-cooked radicchio prevents things from getting cloying. If you’re someone who keeps home-cooked beans around, it’s an extremely doable weeknight recipe.