When it comes to dried beans, supermarkets offer a pretty pedestrian selection. Recent visits to Oahu markets came up with the same bags of kidneys, pintos, garbanzos and lentils, plus the occasional “small red” or black beans.

Now you can expand your bean universe with selections from Rancho Gordo, available at Kokua Market, the first retailer to bring the heirloom beans grown in California to Hawaii.

Laurie Carlson, general manager of the Moiliili co-op, said shoppers get excited about the many varieties, with names like Ayocote Morado, Ayocote Negro, Christmas Lima, Cranberry Bean, Yellow Eye Bean, Cassoulet Bean and Black Caviar Lentils.

Rancho Gordo “works with indigenous Mexican farmers to produce these specialty legumes,” she said. “The beans are fresher than most you find in your typical grocery store and won’t take as long to cook. Another thought — many people are planting gardens now and one can save a few beans from each package before cooking, then use those for planting — getting you double duty from that package of heirloom beans.”

Kokua sells the beans in 1-pound bags, most at $7.49, but a few varieties at $8.29. Also available are Rancho Gordo posole, crimson popping corn, amaranth and California-grown wild rice.

With Thanksgiving coming, the beans offer inspiration for side dishes, and many coming in striking colors suited to holiday feasts.

We’ve got a few ideas …

GIVEN THAT these beans are so pretty, I suggest cooking them gently on the stovetop rather than in a pressure cooker, so you can stop the cooking when the beans are just tender.

You don’t want them so soft that the skins fall off and their beauty is lost.

— Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Advertiser

CHRISTMAS LIMA BEAN RAGOUT

• 1 cup dry Christmas lima beans
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in half
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced shallots or onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or other fresh herbs
• 4 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

>> Optional seasonings: lemon zest, dried chile flakes, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, cover beans with water; soak overnight.

Drain beans, rinse and place in pot. Cover with water (4 to 6 cups) and bring to boil. Add carrot and garlic; lower heat and simmer until beans are just tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat; remove carrot and garlic from pot and reserve. Beans may sit in hot water a few more minutes if you’d like them softer. Don’t let them get so soft that the shells fall off.

Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid and drain beans. Chop carrot into bite-size pieces; mince garlic. Set aside with beans.

Heat bacon in large skillet over medium-high. Stir until cooked through but not yet crisp. Add shallots; sprinkle with salt and saute until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes (if pan is dry, add a little olive oil). Stir in beans, herbs and reserved carrots and garlic. Add reserved cooking water as needed to moisten. Once everything has heated through, turn off heat and add spinach, stirring until wilted. Sprinkle with lemon juice and optional seasonings as desired. Serves 4.

>> TIP: Double the amount of beans and cook until tender, then set aside half for the ragout. The rest can be held in reserve (even frozen) and they’ll be ready for another beany dish, saving quite a bit of soaking and cooking time.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including optional seasonings): 280 calories, 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 14 g protein.

BELIEVE THE hype about Rancho Gordo heirloom beans. Just 1/3 cup of Classic Cassoulet Beans, a seemingly unassuming white bean, turned my standard whatever- I’ve-got soupy concoction from simply satisfying into a creamy, comforting bowl of deliciousness with depth. It’s the best bean I’ve ever tasted. The descriptor on the bag — “A beautiful white runner bean developed by French farmers over generations to be the foundation of the classic cassoulet” — makes me understand even more why cassoulet tastes so good.

I overcooked my first batch of beans in the pressure cooker, and while they separated somewhat from their skins, they actually recovered some firmness, maintaining their structure even after reheating — magic beans.

— Joleen Oshiro, Star-Advertiser

TWO-BEAN CHICKEN STEW

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup dried cassoulet beans (or any other white bean; substitute canned beans)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 to 5 cloves garlic, to taste, smashed or minced
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 32 ounces chicken broth, plus more as necessary
• 1 to 2 fingers fresh olena (turmeric), sliced into thin strips (substitute fresh ginger, or use both)
• 1/3 cup kabocha, small dice
• 1 bunch kale, leaves sliced into bite-size pieces and stems chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, divided
• 1 to 2 chile peppers (optional)
• 1/4 small to medium ulu (breadfruit), sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 to 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cooked chicken meat, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 small to medium zucchini, sliced into bite-size pieces

Cook dried beans, drain and set aside.

In large pot over medium-high, add olive oil. When hot, saute onion for about 1 minute, then add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, olena, kabocha, kale stems and chile peppers, if using. Bring to a boil, add ulu and adjust heat to a healthy simmer; cook ulu about 10 minutes.

Add white and black beans, chicken and salt; simmer 5 minutes. Add zucchini and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add more broth (or water) if stew is too thick. Add kale leaves and simmer 1 minute, then remove pot from heat, retrieve any chile peppers and serve. Serves 6.

>> Variations: Use whatever veggies and seasonings you prefer, and adjust amounts to your preference. Even the chicken is optional. Add more liquid to turn it into a soup. I came upon this recipe intending to make soup but ran short on broth. It was still yummy.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on larger ingredient amounts and half light and dark meat chicken): 250 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 1,150 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 11 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 17 g protein.