Corona Beans with Tomatoes and Sausage

I found these corona beans in my favorite Italian market, the one located in St. Helena, California just down the street from the Farmstead Restaurant. You've got to know it's there to find it. It's the white building at the end of the street, with a small parking lot in front, and "Napa Valley Olive Oil" over the front door. Some of the best stuff in all of Napa Valley, well, other than the wine, of course. I put these beans together in my best Italian foodie tradition, even though I'm not Italian at all, I certainly enjoy the taste of authenticity and deliciousness.

Ingredients:

2 cups corona beans
2 qt. water
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 sprigs of fresh oregano

2 cups water
1 12 oz. can tomatoes, finely diced
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried sage

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup red wine
2 chicken andouille sausage
1/4 cup barbeque sauce

Curls of fresh Parmesan cheese
Additional herb sprigs for garnish

Directions:

Cover the beans with 2 quarts of water, along with the sprigs of fresh thyme and oregano. Bring the beans to a boil over medium high heat. Turn off the heat, cover the beans, and let sit for 1-1/2 hours. Drain the beans, add the water, the tomatoes, and the dried spices. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for another hour. Taste the beans to see if they are done. When done, they will still hold their shape, and will be creamy inside. If not done, continue cooking for up to another 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper, onion, garlic, and carrot to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine, sausage, and barbeque sauce to the skillet. Add the cooked vegetable and sausage mixture to the cooked and tender beans. Continue cooking, so that the flavors meld, for another 1/2 hour. Serve, garnishing each bowl with some curls of cheese and herb sprigs.

Makes 6 servings

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Taste the beans to see if they need additional seasoning. They might not need any additional seasoning, as the tomatoes, sausage, barbeque sauce, and Parmesan all have plenty of salt and pepper in them! Also, these taste fabulous the second day. The flavors meld more with a day of refrigeration, and make these beans even more tender.