L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY T uscany might be fa- mous for its bean pro- duction—after all, Tuscans weren't jok- ingly referred to as mangiafagioli or "bean eaters" for nothing—but one popular bean variety has found its own distinc- tive niche in the Pacific North- west. Called the monachine bean, or "little nuns," because the dried beans are black and white, this heirloom bean was propagated for 50 years in the Seattle garden of Dr. Angelo Pellegrini, a culinary expert, author and University of Washington professor. Pellegrini initially received the beans from his friend, California vintner Robert Mondavi. Thanks to his careful nurturing and passion for this heirloom bean, today the monachine is pop- ularly known as the Pellegrini bean. It's excellent either fresh or dried. Fresh, it's a delicious, stringless yellow-green bean. When dried, its small round bi- colored orbs have a creamy, earthy taste. Northwest food pioneer Mark Musick, who helped found Seattle Tilth to support sustainable agri- culture, paid tribute to these heir- loom seeds. "The existence of the monachine is not just plant genet- ics, it's cultural genetics," he said in a Seattle Times article. "It con- nects us back to Angelo Pellegrini, who connects us to Robert Mon- davi, who connects us back to vil- lages in Italy. All that is embodied in those seeds." The story of the seeds begins with Pellegrini, a formidable pres- ence in shaping the culinary land- scape of the Pacific Northwest. He was passionate about the slow food movement long before that phrase was popular. During the mid-20 th century, when Ameri- cans were enthralled with fast RITA CIPALLA own home garden, lavishing each plant with care and attention. About 10 years ago, Brent gave The Herbfarm a handful of the monachine beans. This restau- rant opened in 1986, showcasing the exceptional food and wines of the Pacific Northwest. A five-acre farm about a mile away supplies the restaurant with produce so fresh that the menu is not finalized until just hours before the meal is served. In 2009, former Herbfarm head gardener Bill Vingelen planted 32 monachine bean starts around two bean pole "teepees." At the end of the season, he har- vested and dried the beans, saving about 90 percent of the first year's harvest to plant the following year. "Our yield was fairly heavy," Vingelen told the Seattle Times, "but we resisted the urge to eat them all." A few beans were given to the other gardeners at The Herbfarm for safekeeping, just in case. In this way, The Herbfarm's supply of monachine beans grew. By 2012, Vingelen was able to plant 64 tepees which supported about 1,000 plants. At last, The Herbfarm had enough of the beans to feature on its menu. The restaurant also sold bean packets online, marketed as the "Pellegrini Bean: the best we've ever grown." Each seed packet came with a tiny booklet that ex- plained its extraordinary back- story. This link to the past is what heirloom vegetables are all about. Perfectly adapted to the growing conditions of the Northwest, the monachine or Pellegrini bean, seems destined to tell its story for generations to come. Culinary expert and author Angelo Pellegrini and son Brent harvest the monachine bean in their garden. The seeds from Italy were given to Pellegrini by vintner Robert Mondavi food and TV dinners, Pellegrini moved in the opposite direction, promoting local healthy ingredi- ents that were picked and eaten at their peak, simple and uncom- plicated. He made friends from all walks of life, including some of the most creative voices in the culinary field, such as chef Alice Waters and food writer Ruth Re- ichl. Among his friends was Cal- ifornia winemaker Robert Mon- davi, a kindred spirit. Each fall, the Mondavi family sent Pelle- grini a ton of grapes that he made into wine, giving most of it away. In the 1950s, Mondavi gave Pellegrini another gift—a handful of dried beans from Italy—which Pellegrini planted in his garden. For four decades, he grew, har- vested and enjoyed their distinc- tive texture and flavor. It was said that he savored them slowly, bean by bean, mashing each one with his fork and swiping it through a dab of olive oil before popping it into his mouth. Born in 1903 near Florence, Italy, Pellegrini moved to Wash- ington state at the age of 10 with his mother and sisters, joining his father who had arrived earlier. Al- though he knew no English, he quickly caught up to his fellow students and excelled in his school work. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, with hon- ors, from the University of Wash- ington and went on to earn a doc- toral degree, becoming an English professor there. In addition to his extraordinary academic talents, Pellegrini was just as famous for his garden, kitchen and wine cellar. He could not fathom the rationale for grow- ing ornamental shrubs or flowers that were inedible. In fact, he con- verted his entire property into an edible landscape, even tearing out the lawn. His home garden overflowed with all kinds of organic vegeta- bles, fruit and herbs. It was so beautiful and lush that Sunset Magazine once assigned a pho- tographer to capture it on film over the course of a year. He was also a prolific author, publishing 10 books about the pleasures of growing and making your own food and wine, and about the Italian immigrant expe- rience. His first book, The Un- prejudiced Palate, was written in 1948 and is considered a classic in food literature. A new edition was released in 2005. It was followed by nine more books, including Americans by Choice, Wine and the Good Life, The Food Lover's Garden and American Dream: An Immi- grant's Quest. As Pellegrini neared the end of his life, his son Brent kept up the family garden. After both his parents died, Brent transplanted some of his father's prized seeds, including the monachine, to his Cultural genetics: How a small flavorful bean connects us to our heritage The Pellegrini bean was also called the monachine, or "little nuns," a name derived from its black-and-white appearance when dried. (Ryan Benoit Photo) The Herbfarm outside Seattle, known for its farm-fresh ingredients and exquisite cuisine, grew and served Pellegrini beans on many occasions

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