Green bean bonanza!

Yesterday I bought some fresh green beans at the store, and that started me thinking about the different ways I like them.  Every since I was a child I've loved green beans in almost every possible way.  They are a comfort food for me, despite being a vegetable.   At Chinese buffets, I always fill my plate with the sauteed green beans they have there first.  I'll start you off with a link I found when looking for basic information on them. 

Green beans are an excellent source of fiber and a lot of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, and many antioxidants.  According to this site, they are also very easy to grow.  They can be preserved by pickling, canning, or simply blanching them for 30 seconds, then freezing them.  It's usually best to break off the woody ends before doing anything to them.     For the less intrepid, you can buy green beans freeze-dried, and the uber-delicious green bean chips.

I asked some friends for their thoughts on green beans.  One friend's daughter gave me this wonderful quote.

        "Mommy, they shouldn't advertise that they're having green beans if it's canned green beans because  those are just disgusting. REAL green beans are yummy."

Perhaps she'd like my canned green bean recipes.  I know I've already offered one for an easy salad containing green beans in a previous post.  My other is just as easy, but it's a hot dish.  A tin of green beans, a pinch of beef bouillon, (I never use any soup base other than Better than Bouillon) and a good pinch of dried minced onions.  Heat it well, and it's an excellent side dish.

As far as fresh green beans, what I did today was not quite what I'd intended, but it turned out well anyway.  I may blanch them first next time.  I minced up a sweet onion into very tiny bits, and did the same thing with a few cloves of garlic.  I started those sizzling in melted butter, then threw in the green beans and a bit of extra water.  I stuck a lid on it so they'd steam a tiny bit, and did something else for a few minutes.  I came back, and they were still pretty soupy, so I added a bit more butter, turned the heat to medium, and left them alone for ten minutes.  They were softer than I'd planned, but both the green beans and the onions were lightly caramelized.  I ended up using an entire stick of butter, but that's because the leftover onion/garlic butter will be used for steamed asparagus.  You'll probably want to stick with half a stick.

My favourite way is of course the old fashioned way with bacon.  Get your beans washed and trimmed into short lengths.  Cut up a lot of bacon, and cook it till it's mostly done, but not crispy.   Snack on some of the bacon.  Cook a sliced onion or two in the drippings, then add the green beans, the bacon you didn't eat, and some water or chicken stock.  At least a couple of cups of liquid.  Then turn it down to low and let it cook for an hour or so so the green beans get mushy and filled with the flavour of bacon and onion.  Pure comfort food.  Even more so than green bean casserole, which I have to make with cream of celery, since I'm allergic to mushrooms.  I also use extra onions, a few splooshes of worcestershire, and extra french onions.

The last way to fix green beans, is another easy summer style.  I got this from today's suggested book, The Complete I Hate to Cook Book, which is both hilarious and useful.

Bail Bond Beans

Cook more french-cut green beans than you need for supper till they are barely tender.  Then mix them with the following, let it heat through, and serve.

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil   (It's olive oil, not bloody EVOO.  I hate cutesy acronyms) 

1/4 cup black olives (I always skip the black olives)

Garlic salt and oregano

After supper, put the leftover beans in the fridge and use them in a salad the next night. 

If any of you have suggestions for what to do with green beans, feel free to share. 

Today's book suggestion:  I Hate to Cook Book, by Peg Bracken.  It's a funny look at those who hate to cook but were forced to do so anyway.  She wrote it long before Women's Lib.  The first printing date in my copy is 1960.  But a lot of the recipes are great, and easy, and it really is an entertaining read.