OFF THE SHELF
If there is such a thing as an elegant bean, this is it

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Flageolets are easiest to find in their dried form. Fresh ones are relatively uncommon in the United States. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

These smallish bush beans, elongated and rather boxy, are removed from the pod when just maturing. The legumes, which first appeared in France in the 1800s, are grown in California. Flageolets are related to more familiar varieties such as white, black and red beans.

The dried beans are prepared like any other: Simmered, fully covered, in unsalted water 1 to 2 hours, until tender but not falling apart. Pre-soaking overnight or pressure-cooking the beans shortens the cooking time. (Salt only at the end of cooking to keep them tender.)

A typical preparation is to combine cooked beans with onions, carrots and such sauteed in butter or olive oil, peeled and seeded tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper and a little chicken or vegetable broth. The mixture is simmered or baked until the vegetables are soft and the flavors have blended, then served as a side dish. Flageolets frequently are paired with lamb dishes. However, it's a shame to overpower the delicate flavor of the beans with assertive ingredients. One way to truly enjoy them is to toss the cooked, room-temperature beans with a fresh vinaigrette for a refreshing salad.

Fresh flageolets are hard to find in the United States. The dried beans, however, are at specialty food stores, such as Strawberry Connection at Dole Cannery Shopping Center in Honolulu, or via mail-order from sites such as http://beanbag.net, a California purveyor of specialty beans.

Although you can substitute kidney or white beans for flageolets in recipes, once you've tasted them, you won't want to.