Monday, September 12, 2005

Beans, Beans...

So what was compelling enough to dislodge me from bucolic Marin County and take a drive 75 miles into the middle of the state?
Would you believe the Tracy Dry Bean Festival? OK, how about the Tracy Dry Bean Festival and Car Show? Never heard of that, right? Well, it's not widely publicized. Even though this is the festival's 19th year, it's nowhere near as famous as the Gilroy Garlic Festival (which I attended in its debut year of 1979). In fact, it's such a dinky affair, admission is free. The whole thing takes place on a couple of intersecting city streets, one of which is filled with tricked-out cars with "Do Not Touch" signs in the windows.
I only know about it because I used to handle food event listings for a newspaper somewhat within hailing distance of Tracy. On a whim, I Googled it last week, and learned it was to take place the coming weekend.
Beans! How cool is that? As we left our house Sunday morning, we told a neighbor where we were headed, and (this is *so* Marin), she said, "That must be why the Rancho Gordo guy wasn't at the market this morning. If you see Steve, tell him he was missed."
Well, apologies to Steve for straying from his fine Napa crop (and no, he wasn't there). But it wasn't easy straying. At the Tracy Dry Bean Festival, there were exactly two booths featuring California dry beans (not counting the Cost Plus World Market alien beans, horrors — though they weren't selling well). All the rest of the booths were hawking time-shares, cell phones, real estate, airbrush tattoos, sparkly clothing, and non-bean food: funnel cakes, roasted corn, Thai food, BBQ sandwiches... There was a bungee-trapeze ride for kids, and a couple of sound stages for bands. Oh, and of course, a guess-how-many-beans contest.
When we finally found Shirley and Dave Mendonca manning an actual bean booth, we got all weepy. Shirley and I clicked right away. She told me her priority at the fair was to talk about beans, and she had found a willing patron.
Amid all the varieties, though, I'm a little embarrassed to say I selected fairly simple ones. A bag of Pinks, and a bag of white Great Northerns. As we were saying goodbye, I noticed a jar of stunning yellow beans that were new to me, so we grabbed that too. Called Mayacoba, it turns out this ancient variety is at the center of a peculiar legal battle over patent ownership. Too weird for words, but you can read about it here.
The trip to Tracy — an all-American, flag-waving, Marine-recruiting kind of town — was like visiting a whole new world, but one filled with great beans, and great human beings.

8 comments:

Jennifer Maiser said...

It's a long story WHY i was there, but last year I ended up at the Tracy Dry Bean festival, and was dismayed at the lack of their featured product ... well, HOT and dismayed.

Jennifer Maiser said...

Oh, but I just remembered that I had the best experience with a family there that served Southern style fried catfish and other delights there ... we sat and talked to the matriarch of the family for about 20 minutes. She was amazing.

Anonymous said...

Leave it to Jen to keep all the good secrets to herself. : D

Steve Sando wasn't there, though. He was at an educational event at Cakebread Cellars, and was mean enough to call me afterwards and gloat.

Thanks for the write-up. That stuff about patenting beans just makes me livid.

Monkey Gland said...

Hahaha, Brilliant. Ok, we might have Nettle Eating Contests and Cheese Chasing Competitions but I guarantee there's no Bean and Car Show here in UK. That's inspired!

Greg said...

Finally tried the Rancho Gordo Pinquito beans I bought. Wow what a difference from them store bought beans!
G.

cookiecrumb said...

Jen: C'mon. We all want to know why you were there! (I never imagined another fellow bloggerina having been to it. The reason they moved the event from August to September was to beat the heat.)
Tana: Smartypants you for knowing that! (And naughty Steve for gloating.)
MG: I wanna chase cheese!
Greg: Oh yeah!

Monkey Gland said...

http://www.cheese-rolling.co.uk/

Check out this excellent cheese rolling site to begin your cheese sports career!

cookiecrumb said...

Yes! I'll be in the ladies' race next May. But what's this malarkey? "Obviously no cheeses are rolled, but a small cheese is the prize for the winner of each race." Fake-out!