Ingredients (For the Beans):
2 cups navy beans
4 cups water
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 slices of bacon, diced
Ingredients (For the Brown Bread):
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Soak the navy beans in water overnight.
Drain the beans and transfer them to a large pot. Add the 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the beans are tender.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet and reserve the bacon grease.
Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened.
Add the molasses, brown sugar, tomato paste, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine.
Add the bacon and onion mixture to the pot with the cooked beans. Stir to combine.
Transfer the bean mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour, or until the beans are thick and bubbly.
While the beans are baking, make the brown bread. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, cornmeal, molasses, buttermilk, egg, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
Grease a 9-inch loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Serve the beans hot with the warm brown bread on the side.
