Last year I bought cranberry beans at the Seacoast Growers Association Tuesday farmers market in Hampton, New Hampshire. I had no idea what to do with them.

On August 6, the San Francisco Chronicle fixed all that. See “Seasonal Cook: Fresh from the Pod.”

I hope to find fresh shelling beans in a market in New England or Kentucky in the next few weeks. Even with my fumbling last year, the beans tasted warming and rich, and I knew I’d like to get to know them better.