*UPDATE* Parking is SOLD OUT for the Final Four, have a great weekend!

The NK Hurst Co. wants to remind all those coming to town for the NCAA Final Four that we will have parking/tailgating in the Hurst Bean Field this weekend. For more information, please visit HERE! LET'S GO BULLDOGS!

For those of you familiar with the N.K. Hurst Co., you may know that we are located in the shadow of Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. For over 25 years we have been a host to tailgaters and some of the best pregame festivities in the area. Needless to say, we are all huge football fans (especially the Colts) and after last week’s win in the AFC Championship, we can’t wait for the “Big Game” on February 7th.

With that in mind, I thought it was a good time to break out one of my current favorite recipes, and one that will work great for that “Big Game” party.

GO HORSE……

A cross between America’s favorite “Big Game” snack and America’s favorite 15 Bean Soup®. It’s like biting into a bowl full of buffalo chicken wings with a subtle hint of blue cheese… AND BEANS! It’s the best of both worlds! Serve with fresh celery and carrot sticks for the full experience!

Click HERE for full recipe.

This past Sunday in the Hurst Bean Field®, we hosted our 3rd Annual Hurst Bean Cookoff during the pregame tailgate party. Once again, we were blown away by the amount of creativity and effort that went into the presentation of these dishes. From the “Hurst Hoosier Gumbo” (served with Dom Perignon!), to the Dugan Family’s winning “Spicy Sausage and Chicken with Black Beans”, we appreciate all who participated and can’t wait for next years’ contest!

Here at the N.K. Hurst Co. we are always on the lookout for recipes that feature dry beans, especially if it is created by someone famous in the culinary world. In a round-about way, this “bean publicity” helps promote the use of our product, and that’s always a positive!

A perfect example: Just last week we discovered “It’s About Bean Season”, an article in the INDYSTAR from world renowned chef Wolfgang Puck. He expounds on the virtues of beans and even goes so far as to say “…my favorite soup ingredient is probably dried beans.” We couldn’t ask for a much better endorsement than that, so I decided to try out his recipe using our HamBeens® Great Northern Bean Soup.

Quick: Name the first restaurant Wolfgang Puck worked at in America?

Answer: La Tour…………….. in INDIANAPOLIS!

Yes, it may be hard to believe, but Puck’s first venture in an American kitchen happened right here in the Circle City!

In the Indystar article, Puck discusses the many positives of cooking with dry beans. Their long shelf life, high nutritional values, and their ability to adapt to all types of cuisine are just some of the reasons he loves them so much. His White Bean Soup w/ Pancetta & Swiss Chard turned out delicious and the perfect meal as the nights begin to cool down.

Click for Recipe

It’s all here: Turkey, roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, and…oh yeah. Gravy. This Friday, many will stand in front of a fridge filled with Thanksgiving leftovers and wonder “what to do”? Here’s a simple recipe that combines many of your “traditional” leftovers with 15 Bean Soup® to create a thick and hearty stew that is sure to please everyone, even those still riding a tryptophan high.

Some of you may consider it poor taste using delicious, leftover roasted turkey in anything other than a big ol’ sammich. As good as that is, the meat begins to dry out a little in the days after the big meal. Cooking a “liquid based” dish will help mask some of that lost moisture and after tasting this dish, you will not be disappointed that you didn’t throw that turkey on another piece of dry bread. (Although at midnight, under the light of your refrigerator, even I’m biased for that tried and true turkey, cranberry, and gravy sandwich.)

Click for Recipe