Ingredients

5 ounces (about 1 cup) dried cannellini beans, soaked, or one 19-ounce can cannellini beans, drained (about 2 cups) and rinsed
1 recipe Bacon Lardons (recipe follows), fat reserved
2 tablespoons walnut oil
Greens from 6 bunches beets (leaves only), cut across into 1/4-inch strips (about 7 packed cups)
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

If using dried beans, drain them. Put in a pot and add fresh water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 to 3 hours, depending on the age of the beans, until soft but not bursting. Drain the beans in a colander; rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Prepare the lardons. Very meaty bacon will leave only 2 teaspoons fat; if the bacon has rendered a lot of fat, remove all but 2 teaspoons.
Add the walnut oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the greens in 3 batches, cooking for 1 minute each time and letting the volume shrink before adding the next batch. With a wooden spoon, scrape the leaves against the bottom and sides of the pan to deglaze and get the flavors. Turn the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the vinegar and salt. Add the beans, bacon, walnuts and pepper. Toss gently. Cook for a few minutes, until heated through.
Makes an ample 4 cups.

Bacon Lardons

1/2 pound very lean slab bacon (bought from a butcher), or regular grocery store-bought bacon, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut across into 1/4-inch strips (about 1 1/3 cups)

Directions

Put the bacon in a medium saucepan. Cook, turning occasionally, over very low heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned. This can take up to 35 minutes if the bacon is very lean. (For fattier, store-bought bacon, increase the heat to decrease the cooking time.) Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain.

Makes 2/3 cup (with about 2 teaspoons fat if using very lean slab bacon, more if using fattier bacon).