Before I get to the great cassoulet, here is a delicious bean recipe. This can’t be made with commodity beans from the grocery store, so either order beans online from Rancho Gordo or check the company’s website for a listing of stores that carry them. The following recipe takes about 90 minutes, but only a minute of actual work.

To make a great meal of this, serve it with rice, or sprinkle it with panko bread crumbs toasted with butter to give the beans some crunch, and serve with a salad. Add a link or two of sausage for some heft. Or simply serve it as a side dish; you could garnish with thinly sliced scallion or chives, but that’s gilding the lily as far as I’m concerned.