The runner-up in the dried bean category is a brand any of our fellow bean nerds will know: Rancho Gordo. McAllister is fond of the heirloom beans it grows and sells and confirms that they’re wo ...

All of these giant beans, available by mail-order from Rancho Gordo ( www.ranchogordo.com), make great substitutes for meat or, at least, help reduce the cravings for lots of animal protein.