My only run-in with the legacy of Pythagoras lies in a mathematical theorem: A²+B²=C². One of those familiar formulas you’re smacked around with in middle school geometry, something most of us had to suffer. (“Suffer” being relative to whether or not you’re as mathematically stunted as I am.) But in the shadow of this Greek philosopher’s lauded contributions to the number game, what else do we find?

Beans, actually–the same delicious, colorful family of foodie favorites we were talking about only recently. It’s thanks to the obscure (dare we say esoteric?) knowledge of Matthew Wills that we were clued into the rather demented history of the legume.

Bear with me here. I’m not running off on a mad tangent about the piddling dietary habits of a long-dead philosopher. Or maybe I am. It was during Pythagoras’ lifetime as a renowned Greek thinker and teacher that he seeded a bushel of ideas far above and beyond his maths. He also created a religion of sorts. And within the guidelines of that religion, supposed dietary restrictions. I say “supposed” because Pythagoras never wrote anything down himself; it was owed to his followers in succeeding generations that anything the man thought or declared was ever saved for posterity. In and among reflections on the transmigration of the soul and the importance of music, we find the humble bean.
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Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.

'Yellow Eye' beans

If you haven’t already gone out to buy your seeds for your vegetable garden, now is the time to do it. I have been reading Steve Sando’s ‘The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide’ and would like to talk today about an overlooked topic: heirloom beans.

Some of you may sigh and think, “Oh, beans! Why doesn’t she talk about heirloom tomatoes or peppers?” But beans are one of the easiest things to grow in the vegetable garden; as legumes they are nitrogen fixers, so they don’t deplete the soil of nutrients, and they come in a delicious variety of mouthwatering flavors when you grow them from seed (I’m not kidding). Some are nutty, some are buttery, some are starchy, some are creamy and some are meaty.
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From August 27 – September 25, families can explore Mario Batali’s Edible Garden in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and enjoy daily gardening activities and cooking demonstrations showcasing kid-friendly recipes with the chance to sample and search for ingredients in the garden. We are posting the recipes from Mario Batali’s Edible Garden here on the NYBG blog, Plant Talk, so check back often.

Spaghetti with Escarole, Guanciale, and White Beans

Matt Molina, Executive Chef, Osteria Mozza

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces guanciale or pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch thick, 2 inch long batons
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup cooked, drained, white beans
2 heads escarole, cut into 2-inch pieces, washed, and spun dry
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons pecorino romano, grated, plus a wedge for grating
2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
4 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 6 tablespoons salt.

Meanwhile, in a 14-inch sauté pan, heat the guanciale over low heat. Cook slowly until the fat has been rendered and the meat is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook gently until garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, add the white beans and a half cup of the boiling water.

When the water comes to a boil, add the escarole and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the wilted escarole from the water and add to the pan with guanciale.

When the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente.

About 1 minute before the pasta is done, place the sauce over high heat. Immediately add pasta to the pan with the sauce, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Cook the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes, stirring with a rubber spatula or tongs to coat the pasta, adding some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta so that the pasta is slippery and glistening. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and pecorino romano. Add the olive oil, stirring and shaking the pan to emulsify the sauce.

Use tongs to lift the spaghetti out of the pan and onto the center of each four plates, dividing the pasta evenly, and twirling it as it falls onto the plate to form a tight mound. Spoon any sauce left in the pan over the pasta and use a microplane or fine grater to grate a light layer of pecorino romano over each plate. Sprinkle a tablespoon of toasted breadcrumbs over each plate and serve.

Some plants have such boastful names. If you’re calling a plant as humble as the bean ‘King of the Garden’ it had best be a great bean!

Phaseolus lunatus ‘King of the Garden’ (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)