The Wonder of Beans

Is there anything more miraculous than beans?
A little water and they multiply like loaves.
Take the lowly kidney bean, for example. Price? Pratically nothing. Buy them dry and forget about them for ages. They're still good.
And then, in the winter, when it's cold and miserable and you want comfort, dig for those beans in the back of your cupboard like burried treasure. One pound transforms, with a little help from its friends (carrots, celery...) into three lovely dishes, each different, tasty and a pleasure in its own way.

HOW TO MAKE THREE LOVELY DISHES FROM A POUND OF CHEAP KIDNEY BEANS

First, soak the suckers! Overnight. In a big bowl of water.
Next, add a can of peeled tomatoes, some water and a chicken bouillon cube and bake (or simmer, as you prefer) for an hour or two.
That's all prep. Now put away in the fridge somewhere until needed.

BEAN SALAD, BEAN SOUP, and (of course) BEAN CHILE!

WHAT YOU NEED (for all three dishes)
a carrot, peeled and sliced
a little celery, chopped, if possible with leaves
a touch of rutabega, chopped, if you've got somechicken stock (or 1/2 bouillon cube and 2-3 cups of water)
thyme and rosemary
feta, vinegar and oil (for the salad) and, if you have it, some chopped red bell pepper
hamburger and chile spice (for the chile)
and a hand mixer or blender (for the soup)
ALL YOU DO IS:
Heat chicken broth, throw in chopped veggies and some of your cooked beans; boil, turn off and...
for SALAD, 
with a slotted spoon, remove some of the beans and veggies and place in a bowl, add chopped onion, feta, vinegar and olive oil
for SOUP, blend and serve (with chopped fresh herbs on top if you have them)
for CHILE, fry hamburger, add spices, add the remaining beans and their liquid, cook 20 minutes and serve!


TO SERVE
Needless to say, you'll want to space out serving these three dishes. They're all good, but don't serve them all at once!!!