Here's the one I use: Navy Bean Soup From Food Network Kitchens 1 lb navy beans, picked over, rinsed and drained 10 sprigs parsley 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1-1/2 lb 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped 8 c cold water 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper Butter for garnish Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit for one hour. Drain and reserve. Tie parsley, thyme and bay leaf together with kitchen twine. In large soup pot or dutch oven, combine the beans, herb bundle, hocks, onions and garlic with the water. Bring to a boil, cover and adjust the heat so that the soup cooks at a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans and hocks are completely tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Turn off heat and remove hocks. Cool slightly. Remove meat from hocks, discarding the bones, fat and skin. Cut meat into small cubes. Remove herb bundle from soup and discard. Puree about 3 cups of the beans with some of the liquid in a blender. (For a smooth soup, you may puree all the beans). Stir the puree and diced meat into the soup. Heat the soup and adjust seasoning as needed with salt & pepper. Ladle into heated bowls, place a small pat of butter on top of each bowl of soup, serve. Linda

Here is one that Maryel posted on another forum a few weeks ago. I have made it twice and we love it. It is really so simple to make. Tarte Tatin á la Tomate Tomato Tatin from Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier As someone who cherishes words just as much as food, christening my dishes is an important part of my cooking pleasure. I like to make sure that the name is simple although I occasionally lapse into fancy restaurant style just for the fun of it and that it hints at the composition but retains an element of fun or mystery. One of the naming tricks I favor is using a dessert name for a savory course, and vice versa. It gives the dish a playful persona, and points out the many bridges that can be crossed between the sweet and the savory. Pâte Brisée; alternatively, you can use a sheet of uncooked store-bought puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions if frozen. FOR THE FILLING Extra virgin olive oil 2 pounds Roma or plum tomatoes (substitute any other firm and not too juicy variety) Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper Herbes de Provence (or a mix of dried rosemary, basil, oregano, and thyme) 1/4 cup black olive tapenade, store-bought or homemade 6 ounces fresh goat cheese 1/3 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves Serves 8 as a starter, 4 as a main course. Chilling time: 30 minutes for the dough This tomato tart is a glorious example: the tomatoes are topped with goat cheese and tapenade and cooked under a layer of pastry in classic tarte tatin fashion. This allows the filling to bake softly without drying out, and provides a bit of an adrenaline thrill when you have to flip the tart on a serving platter dont worry, it will slip right out. 1. Prepare the Pâte Brisée. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day. 2. Preheat the oven to 350̊F and grease a 10-inch ceramic quiche pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil. 3. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and core them. Run your thumb in the hollows of the tomatoes to remove the juice and seeds. Arrange in the pan, skin side down, in a circular pattern. You can crowd them a little; they will shrink as they bake. Season with salt, pepper, herbs, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, until softened. Remove from the oven (leave the heat on). 4. Remove the dough from the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough in an 11-inch circle and prick all over with a fork. Spread with tapenade, leaving a 1-inch margin all around. 5. Cut the cheese in 1/3-inch slices and arrange over the tomatoes in the pan. Lay the dough, tapenade side down, on the cheese, and tuck in the overhanging flaps of dough. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden. 6. Let cool for a few minutes on a rack. Run a knife around the crust to loosen. Put on your best-looking oven mitts, cover the pan with an overturned serving plate, and flip the whole thing carefully. If some of the tomatoes stick to the bottom of the pan, just place them back on the tart where they belong. Serve warm or at room temperature. Just before serving, snip or tear the basil leaves and sprinkle over the tart. VARIATIONS: Instead of tapenade, spread the dough with onion confit, anchovy paste, or pesto. Instead of goat cheese, use slices of buffalo mozzarella, drained and patted dry with paper towels.

I have two lots of pie beans, some navy beans and some black-eyed peas. (I bought what was cheap at the time.) I line the pastry shell with foil, then pour the beans in. When the pastry is set, I remove the foil and place it on the drainer board for the beans to cool. When the beans are cool, I use the foil to funnel the beans back into their jar to wait for the next time I need them. I think the navy beans are well over 20 years old and the black eyed peas nearly the same.

CLASSIC CHESS PIE WITH VARIATIONS 1 (15 oz.) pkg. refrigerated piecrusts (or make your own) 2 cups sugar 2 Tblsp. cornmeal 1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1/4 cup milk 1 Tblsp. white vinegar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 4 large eggs, lightly beaten Unfold piecrusts, and stack on a lightly floured surface. Roll into 1 (12-inch) circle. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Line piecrust with aluminum foil and fill crust with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 425° F. for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake 2 to 3 minutes more or until golden. Let cool completely. Stir together sugar and next 7 ingredients until blended. Add eggs, stirring well. Pour into piecrust. Bake at 350° F. for 50 to 55 minutes, shielding edges of pie with aluminum foil after 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool pie complete on a wire rack. Coconut Chess Pie: Prepare filling as directed; stir in 1 cup toasted coconut before pouring into piecrust. Bake as directed. Chocolate-Pecan Chess Pie: Prepare filling as directed; stir in 3-1/2 Tblsp. cocoa and 1/2 cup toasted pecans before pouring into crust. Bake as directed. Lemon Chess Pie: Prepare filling as directed; stir in 1/3 cup lemon juice and 2 tsp. grated lemon rind before pouring into piecrust. Bake as directed.