Using your bean: bean and tomato gratin

Ragazzi, Annalena is smiling, ear to ear.  You are READING her rants.  And commenting on them!  BRAVISSIMO.  And doing so, with more than the sweet stuff.  Yes, she wishes you read the ones on beets and squid, but one cannot have everything now, can one?    This one will be a test because (i) it involves dried beans and (ii) there is work involved, including, preferably, a precursor recipe.

That precursor is Annalena's confit of tomatoes, for which the link is given here:
http://annalenacantacena.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-summer-tomatoes.html


Now if you do NOT have the confit, you can use regular tomatoes, peeled as per the last recipe, for ratatouille; however, you will lose the wonderful flavored oil.  And if you don't have ripe tomatoes, use a can of the stuff.  Drain the liquid off.


This recipe was inspired by a dish at Barbuto, which most of you know is one of Annalena's favorite, "go to" restaurants.  She was having roast leg of lamb tonight, and a side dish of beans with tomatoes and a crumb crust came with the meat.  The meat was wonderful, the beans were divine. So, as she does,  Annalena went to the kitchen and asked chef Melissa for the recipe.  Melissa smiled and said "oh, I just whipped that up.  You know how to do that.  No recipe."


Hmmm.  Well, ok.  And you know what?  Melissa was right.  Annalena made this, served it with her own roasted lamb, and it was a big, BIG hit.  She plans to make it again.  DO try it.

Ok, you already know about the tomatoes.  You need about four of them, be they confitted or whole, or a drained, 28 ounce can.  Break them up. 

For the beans, use the white ones:  two cups of  any kind of white ones.  Soak them overnight, and then cook them in lots and lots and lots of water,  at a slow simmer, until they soften.  Unfortunately, Annalena cannot give you any direction other than  "probably at least an hour," because beans are very unpredictable.  Test after 45.  If they are beginning to yield, add a big tablespoon of salt.  That's NOT too much.  The water will take most of it, and beans have no internal salt.  By waiting the 45 minutes, however, you avoid an issue which some people find objectionable, which is a toughening (almost a "curing" of their skins). 

When they are done, drain them, and then mix them together with the broken up tomatoes.

Let this cool a bit, and then stir in a half cup of grated parmesan cheese, adn a half cup of bread crumbs.  Taste this now, and see if you need any seasoning.  Add some basil or thyme or, best of all, marjoram or savory if you like.  Dump the whole thing in a big earthenware or glass baking dish (not as big as the one you used yesterday, but "big enough," if you know what she means),  and not, combine two more cups of breadcrumbs with some olive oil:  if y ou used the confit, the left over oil.  If not, good quality extra virgin.  Add enough so that the crumbs begin to clump.  Then, spread them over the beans, and put the whole dish on a baking sheet, and then into the oven, at 375, for about 30-45 minutes, until you get a browning on the crust. 

This is WICKED hot when it comes out of the oven, so let it come to room temperature, or just warmer before you serve it forth.  And eat it with some glee at having made something relatively healthy, and having used your dry beans.    Many of you tell me you are looking for bean recipes.  Well... now you have one.  So, as they say   "use your bean."