You Should Know

Maybe the screen process wasn't as good when mother had to look. Small rocks are just going to be something that gets picked up occasionally if they're being machine harvested.

Every bag of dried beans I've seen tells you to inspect them for rocks, since they are an agricultural product. I've never found one though.

Lots of bags of dry beans have rocks. Little black pebbles usually, like coarse sand.

Some brands have them more often than others but you can easily break a tooth on them so I always toss them on the counter and scoot them around to check.

I've found lots of rocks in bags of beans over the years, could be a regional or economic thing too (just as a point of reference, I grew up really poor in the South). As a kid I remember pouring them out on a backing sheet to sort them, little did I realize I'd end up doing something similar as a teen with an AOL CD tin.

Sure!

TLDR: mirepoix, garlic, ground mustard, ground thyme, basil, salt, pepper, bacon

I cut a pack of decent quality bacon into strips and start it a sizzlin

Then, dice equal parts carrot, onion, and celery (mirepoix) while the bacon is cooking

I crank the heat and sautee the mirepoix in the pan with the bacon, then I add the beans with the soak water and some salt (don't go crazy, the bacon has salt too, and I add cheese at serving also)

Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer until the beans are mostly cooked, stirring and adding water as needed.

When things are cooked pretty well throw in a diced tomato (or a can), a bulb of crushed garlic, ground mustard, dried basil, and ground thyme. Let it cook a bit until the flavors develop, then adjust seasoning, salt, pepper etc. Sorry I don't have measurements, I eyeball everything. I cook the soup a long time so by the end it will stick if you don't stir fairly frequently because the lentils and some beans have dissolved. I like the soup thicc so that also contributes to it sticking.

The thyme and basil are the stars here, the thyme especially.

I usually eat it with some rice and some grated Monterey Jack cheese on top.

I use jasmine rice and put a small amount of olive oil in the pan, then crush a garlic clove per cup of rice I'm cooking and sautee gently (don't burn it!) as soon as the garlic has cooked a bit I add a cup of dry rice to the pan and stir it around real good, add the water, and salt it. Rice should not be bland, motherfuckers!

Nice! Maybe I'll try that. What else did you have in the pot?

I do as well in addition to the seasoning packet. I've grown to really like the seasonig with it. The smoked ham takes it to another level entirely, though.