BLACK BEANS AND TOMATOES

Servings: 4-6

Beans:

2 cups dried black beans
6 ½ cups water
1 large whole onion
8-10 whole cloves
4 large garlic cloves
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped

Tomatoes:

6 medium tomatoes, chopped
8 green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
4-5 dashes Tabasco sauce

Place beans and water in a large pot. Peel the whole onion and stud it with the whole cloves (poke holes in the side of the onion with a toothpick about ½ inch apart, push the stem end of the clove into each hole). Place the onion in the pot with the beans and water and add the whole, peeled garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours. Remove and discard the whole onion and cloves. Mash the whole garlic cloves into the beans ( use a spoon or fork and gently mash into the side of the pot). Add chopped onion and bell pepper. Cover and simmer for an additional 1-2 hours until beans are tender.

Place the tomatoes, onions, and seasonings into a separate bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Mix again and adjust seasonings.

Serve black beans over brown rice and spoon some of the tomato mixture over the top.

HINT: Whole cloves are sold in a jar in the spice section of your supermarket. They are the dried buds from a tree and add a unique flavor to this dish. Handle them carefully while inserting into the onion so they don’t break. To remove onion and cloves from the beans use a slotted spoon. Season beans with a small amount of salt after cooking, if desired.