Mottled Beans With Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound mottled red beans
• like cranberry
• bolita or Roman
• soaked overnight
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chopped long green chili
• 1 Italian green frying pepper
• cored
• seeded and cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• peeled and crushed with salt
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 pound fresh collard greens
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons butter
• A good pinch of Cayenne

Instructions

1. Drain the beans; place them in a saucepan and add fresh water to cover.
2. Bring them to a boil and simmer, covered, over low heat until half cooked, about 45 minutes.
3. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide, deep skillet.
5. Add the onion, the chili and the frying pepper and cook three minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the garlic, tomato sauce, parsley and salt and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often.
7. Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid.
8. Add the beans and about one cup of liquid to the skillet, cover and continue cooking until the beans are tender.
9. Soak and clean the collard greens.
10. Shred the leaves finely to make about four cups.
11. In a medium saucepan, bring three cups of water to a boil.
12. Add the collards and cook 20 minutes.
13. Drain the collards; add them to the skillet along with more reserved bean liquid, if necessary, and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
14. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
15. In a small saucepan, heat the butter to sizzling, add the Cayenne, swirl once and pour over the contents in the skillet.
16. Serve hot or warm.