Corona beans

WE BUY THEM from a friend with an import business up in Portland: Corona beans, brought in from Italy. I know, I know: you should eat locally. We generally do. But these dried limas, or whatever they are, are so good, with a chestnutty texture, a complex but immediate flavor, a really meaty presence. They keep forever, which is a good thing: you don't drive 600 miles to the grocery store.

Lindsey covers them with cold water and soaks them overnight, maybe half the next day too. Then she simmers them slowly. There's a wooden spoon and a paring knife next to them: every now and then you check to see how easily the knife enters the bean.

Drain them and toss them with a little olive oil, a grind or two of salt and another of pepper, and don't forget lots of fresh marjoram from the garden. Sage would be nice; marjoram's better. A tossed salad afterward is all you need.

Pinot grigio