Jack's Mixed Bean Salad

Jack's Mixed Bean Salad

Jack stood staring at the piles and piles of beans in the back room of the house. There were all sorts, black one, green ones, red ones, so many different types. So much wasted money, and time. He could hear his mother crying in the next room, his father had died last month and every so often he would hear her start to sob. It was hard enough with him here; now that he was gone Jack didn’t know how he would take care of his mother.

 His father had long forbidden them to use his beans, thinking that he might have missed one that could be magic. His father had heard a rumor about magic beans when he was younger and the dream had stuck. He had spent most of their money on useless beans, selling things they couldn’t afford to lose on a hopeless dream. Jack had never believed and watched his father waste their money on nothing. As he sat staring at this pile of a wasted life Jack took a deep breath and walked away, closing the door loud enough to alert his mother.

“We should cook those beans, or sell them.” He said to her, but even as he brought it up her head started to shake.

“No, he wouldn’t want it that way.” She sniffed, wiping her eyes with her skirt.

Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Days turned into weeks, and without any way to make enough money Jack and his mother were starting to feel the stress.

“Im selling them mother, I don’t care what you say.” Jack said, his mother knew he was talking about the beans without his having to say.

She didn’t want to lose one more part of her husband but she knew Jack was right.

“No one will buy just beans Jack, why would they bother.” She mumbled walking out.

Jack watched her go, knowing she was right.

He knew he would have to make the beans delicious for people to want them so Jack went to work. He tried making them in a soup; he tried pulverizing them into a tasty mush, mixing in other vegetables, cooking them in the fire, almost everything he could thing of until he finally made something so delicious he knew he got it right.

Having his mother come and taste the concoction, “this is amazing son!” They both had two full bowls and spoke excitingly about the next day when they would sell it. Jack made the biggest batch, using all the beans and took it to the market.

At first it didn’t sell like he hoped but after giving a few away the word spread and people came to eat Jack’s bean salad.

By the end of the day Jack had a pocketful of money that would last him and his mother for months. The only thing Jack wished was that his father had lived to see his beans finally be worth something. 

His father’s wild dreams of magic only made Jack an unbeliever, having watched him waste his life away chasing nothing. Jack didn’t think he would ever be able to believe in magic, not after all the sadness it brought his family. But he still loved and missed his father regardless. 

 

Jack knew what he wanted to buy with the money, a cow for him and his mother would provide income for them and they wouldn’t have to worry about money. But he would do that tomorrow, now he couldn’t wait to get home and see his mother.

Not knowing that in a few years he would live his father’s dream because he decides to believe in magic one more time. Beans would save his family more than once.

Recipe 

 

Ingredients

• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can yellow wax beans, drained
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen cut green beans, thawed
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the vinegar, sugar, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon.