Gratin of Black Bean, Corn and Crusty Cheese

Step 1: The night before making the casserole, pick over the beans, discarding any stones. Rinse the beans briefly, then cover with water and let sit overnight.

Step 2: The next day, place the beans in a 4-quart pot along with their soaking liquid. Add the whole onion, the garlic, and the bay leaves. Add fresh water to cover the beans by inches. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 1 1/2 hours. Check during cooking, and add hot water when necessary. When the beans are almost done, add salt. Drain the beans, discarding the water. Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves; reserve the beans.

Step 3: Meanwhile, while the beans are cooking, blanch the corn kernels in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain the corn, cool, and refrigerate.

Step 4: Heat oven to 375-degrees F.

Step 5: Melt the butter in a 4-quart pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and green pepper. Cook until soft, but not brown, about 20 minutes.

Step 6: Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the hot milk all at once,stirring vigorously with a whisk. Increase the heat to medium, and cook,, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Step 7: Reserve 1 1/2 cups grated cheese; stir the remaining cheese into the milk mixture. When the cheese has melted, fold in the corn and the beans.

Step 8: Great a 3-quart casserole with butter or film with nonstick spray. Place the bean-and-corn mixture in the casserole. Sprinkle with reserved cheese over the top. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 - 15 minutes. Just before serving, pass under a hot broiler to lightly brown the cheese.