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1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and rosemary and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and swirl in the pan to combine.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir in the beans along with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the beans are soft and creamy.

stir in the parsley and serve.

serves 6–8

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bean savvy

I am a spur-of-the-moment cook in many ways, and sometimes I won’t have thought to soak dried beans the night before. If you plan ahead and want to use dried garbanzo beans in this recipe, instead of canned beans, soak them overnight in water to cover, drain, and cook as directed but increase the cooking time to 8 to 10 hours.

Southern-Style Green Beans

Southern cooks are proud of their green beans, which are typically slowly simmered with bacon, giving the beans their distinctive flavor. My version of this dish has whole garlic cloves and chicken broth added for more flavor. I love to serve these beans with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cream gravy.

6 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces; reserve some for garnish

2 pounds green beans, ends snipped, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1½ cups chicken broth

4 cloves garlic, peeled

6 whole black peppercorns

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until the beans are tender.

drain the beans and discard the peppercorns and garlic.

serve garnished with the reserved bacon.

serves 6–8

Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Dressing

This recipe is similar to one I have enjoyed at a local restaurant. The pomegranate dressing has a sweet-and-sour quality that gives the beets a nice flavor, and the goat cheese adds a tangy note. The dressing is equally good on field greens, or you can serve the beets on a bed of field greens, garnished with some Spicy Crocked Nuts. Roasting beets develops the sugars and makes them not only sweet but also full flavored. I recommend beets that are around two to two-and-a-half inches in diameter. Baby beets, generally about one inch in diameter, are expensive, and it would take a boatload to fill your cooker. Once the beets are cooked, they keep refrigerated for several days and stay nicely in the vinaigrette for three to four days.

6 to 8 medium beets, scrubbed, stem ends trimmed

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

½ cup pomegranate juice

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil for garnishing

8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled for garnishing

wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and arrange in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours, until the tip of a knife inserted into the thickest part of the beet goes in without any resistance.

remove the beets from the slow-cooker insert and allow them to cool. Unwrap the beets and slip the skins off with a sharp paring knife.

cut the beets into wedges and transfer to a bowl. Whisk together the oil, pomegranate juice, vinegar, shallots, sugar, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Pour the mixture over the beets and toss to coat.

marinate the beets for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

drain the beets and arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with the basil and goat cheese.

serves 6–8

Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables, and a slow cooker does a great job on this casserole of layered eggplant, garlicky tomato sauce, and cheese. Make sure to use a slow-cooker liner, or coat the insert of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, for easy cleanup. I actually like this dish the day after, so you can definitely layer everything and