Two decades ago, Steve Sando started a little Napa-based bean company called Rancho Gordo that sold a few varieties of rare heirloom beans that had fallen out of favor. These were tender, from small farmers, and fresh—the opposite of the desiccated commodity beans or canned beans that make up most of the legume market even today. Chefs and home cooks took notice, and in a few years, Rancho Gordo became the go-to provider of beans to everyone from Thomas Keller to Alice Waters and, yes, the Sunset test kitchen. (We’ve also included Rancho Gordo beans in our subscription box.) Today, Rancho Gordo sells over two dozen varieties of beans grown in New Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, Mexico, and beyond in a gorgeous array of dusty tans, speckled purples, reds, blues, blacks,…
