Granted, as usual, I didn't play it exactly as the NYT recipe indicated, but the result is quite satisfying. My thoughts on mods for this recipe are:
1. Soak beans overnight (rather than four hours). Rinse well and then continue with recipe, over a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
2. OK, so I don't own Herbes de Provence. Nor could I whip together a Bouquet Garni. But some dried thyme, parsley, and a bay leaf worked nicely. What I am missing with the HdP I don't know, and it seemed irrelevant when we took our first bites of the dish at dinner last night.
3. When I put the casserole in the oven the first time (I cooked it over two sessions), I started with everything BUT the extra water. I added that a bit later. Mainly the reason for this can be seen here:
My casserole was JUST a little too small to do the job, and there was overage onto a cookie sheet I'd placed below. Until much of the first liquid had cooked into the beans (or over the sides of the dish), there was no room for the water.
4. The bread crumb mixture is a great touch, one that somehow satisfies separately from the creamy beans and kale. Next time, though, I'd add some grated Parmesan.
All that said, though, I am making this puppy again, soon! Y-U-M!
