“If I ate twice what there was, it would’ve been half what I wanted.”
Doc Watson made this remark in regards to soup beans and cornbread, a staple dish of Appalachia due to its accessibility and the memories it conjures. The beans typically used for soup beans are pinto beans, which get their name from the Spanish word for paint. Once pintos cook, they turn from their speckled appearance to a light brown. Most rural Appalachians were self-sufficient and grew the majority of their food, going to the local general store for items they could not produce themselves. However, pinto beans were often bought instead of grown by families because it was cheaper and easier to do so.
While I was searching through the cookbooks in the museum collection, I stumbled across a recipe for Pinto Bean Pie. Initially I thought it would be a savory dish, similar to bean bread or refried beans. It’s the furthest thing from it — it’s sweet! The closest I’ve come to sweetness with pintos would be chow-chow. The ingredients are simple; pintos, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, pecans, coconut, and margarine. Also, the recipe has substitutions listed to make it lighter and more health conscious.
This was one of the easiest recipes I’ve made; just simply mix all ingredients together and bake. The batter itself didn’t look or smell appetizing before it baked, but it redeemed itself fully while baking and taste wise. It smelled divine while baking and came out of the oven a deep brown color and the taste was not at all what I was expecting. This pie is rich, sweet, and tastes nothing of beans. I would suggest the substitutions, as it is very sweet.
This recipe can be found in the Surry County Health Department 75th Anniversary Cookbook. The Surry County Health Department was founded in 1920 to combat malnutrition in the area. Along with recipes submitted by staff members, the cookbook contains photographs and history about the health department as well as articles about food safety and healthy eating. Originally housed in the Mount Airy City Hall Building on Moore Avenue, it moved to the former nurses’ residence for Martin Memorial Hospital on Gilmer Street in 1956 before it was moved to its final location in Dobson in 1983.
The Marion family name is a well-known one in this area, as they’ve been settled here for generations. However, it has been difficult to determine which Ruth to credit for this recipe, as there are numerous. I talked to the wrong Ruth about this recipe, where she informed me there were three that she knew of. From what I can tell, the Ruth Marion in question worked for Surry County in the Health and Nutrition Department from 1993 until her retirement in 2012. We have her to thank for this wonderful recipe. Who knew beans were so nutritional and versatile?
Pinto Bean Pie
1 c. pintos with juice, mashed well
1 c. white sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ c. pecans
2 c. brown sugar
1 can Baker’s coconut
2 sticks margarine, melted
Mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in unbaked pie shell. Makes 2 pies.
Substitute
Less sugar
½ amount of coconut
1 c. egg beaters
Soft, light margarine
½ amount of pecans
Justyn Kissam is the director of programs and education at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. Originally from Winston-Salem, she has moved around the state for her education and public history work until settling in Mount Airy. She can be reached at 336-786-4478 x 228 or jnkissam@northcarolinamuseum.org
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com