#24 A little bean started it all...

Our good fortune was linked to a bean.

The year following the big storm was devoted to rebuilding our business and we found the motherlode in one organization. The Worldwide Church of God was based in Tucson where the leader at that time lived. This group inspired us to reach for the heavens.

Every autumn the group held a convention in Tucson. Thousands of followers would come to the desert to worship and have fellowship with others in their religion. The church members would bring family and while here, they sought out family oriented activities. We fit the bill.

We were swamped. All day, every horse for every hour was booked and at night we offered food. Called "Cookouts" this outdoor food service became one of our most profitable ventures.

The convention lasted ten days... and for each of them we had approximately 20 to100 people a night for dinner. Some of these folks enjoyed horse drawn hayrides and some rode horseback for sunset rides but all ended up at our cookout site for dinner.

The experience of the breakfast ride led us into food service. We purchased a trailer and My Cowboy converted it into a wonderful, transportable commercial kitchen. It contained a refrigerator, commercial stove, dish washing sinks, storage and lots of shelving. It was ideal.

Trial and error had honed my food presentation, teaching me to keep it simple but good. We served the best steak, pre ordered and delivered the day of the cookout, 8 ounce rib eyes marinated on site with special herb blends and olive oil. Crusty garlic bread warm from the fire, crispy salad greens and beans completed the menu. Thick chocolate slabs of brownies were the finishing touch.

We created a site to provide the ambiance of a western adventure. It was a place with a spectacular view of the mountains at sunset and where our guests would be entertained as the mountains changed from pink to deep purple. It was a desert setting with tall saguaro's all around. We had a bonfire pit surrounded by hay bales to sit upon, tables covered in red checkered table clothes with red lanterns. The cooking grills were to one side with a serving table fronting it. It was the perfect western setting for visitors to finish a wonderful day in Tucson. The only missing ingredient was the singing cowboy and we had those too.

Food couldn't be reused after a cookout and it seemed a shame to throw good food out so we, and our staff, ate the left overs.  The most often remaining food were beans... the traditional ranch style beans served were a local tradition but I really hated them. I decided that if I had to eat all those left over beans then I wanted a bean that I liked.

Cookout Campfire Beans were born.

I took the traditional pinto bean and made it my own. I added a tomato sauce, cumin, garlic, corriander, onion, mustard and more. Then I added dark molasses and green chillies. Slow cooked on the grill the beans were a savory delight, a blend of east and west.

The first night I served the beans I served twenty people but made enough for 40. I was a little nervous and made more than I needed looking forward to the left overs.

That night there weren't any.

My beans were a hit. From that night forward they became the star of our cookout show. Word of our beans spread and from then on we planned for extra at each serving and our guests literally ate it all up. I began to receive requests in the mail for my recipe.

That first week with the Church of God grew to a many year commitment. Reservations were made a year and even two years in advance. This groups contentment with our services was shared and we expanded to more and more convention groups.

A little bean started it all, creating a wonderful western experience for our guests and by so doing, giving our little business one too!