Menouille Picarde

1. Soak the beans the night before, or 12 hours ahead from when you want to cook them, in large amount of water.
2. Heat a skillet over low heat, add bacon to and cover with enough water to submerge it. Let is cook until the water comes to a boil.
3. Drain the water and cut the bacon into stripes, making sure to remove the cartilage and rind.
4. In a large pot or casserole, heat 50 grams or ¼ cup butter over low heat.
5. Add the coarsely chopped onions and bacon pieces to the pot and fry them until they develop a golden brown color.
6. Drain the pre soaked beans, and add them to the onions and bacon.
7. Add thyme and stir well, pour in enough water to cover the beans 1 cm above.
8. Cover the pot with a lid and let the stew cook for 25 minutes.
9. Add the diced potatoes to the beans; cover the pot and cook for 10 more minutes.
10. Remove the lid and cook the beans for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
11. Pour the stew to a serving dish one ladle full at a time; and crushing the vegetables with a fork.
12. Add the remaining butter to the bean stew, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir with a fork to mix everything well.
13. Serve hot.

Trivia

• Soisson beans, which are also called white lima beans or butter beans, got its original name from the place they were fist cultivated in France, i.e. in Soissons in Picardie in the 18^th

Did you know that potatoes are one of the most consumes vegetables in the world? An average American consumes about 124 pounds of potatoes each year, while Germs eat twice the amount.