Green Bean Season

It's green bean season and we are picking them daily.  As usual, most of them go to the farmers' market with our other produce.  But, I rescue a bunch of them every few days to cook for ourselves.

If you've ever cooked fresh green beans, you know that it is a time-consuming process to break off the ends and get them ready to cook.  So, I want to share the technique I use to speed up this process, plus a couple of simple recipes.

First, I pick out several beans and, using a chef's knife, cut the stem ends off.

Next, cut the beans into one-inch lengths.  You may want to discard the "pointy" ends, but as long as the beans are not too large, it is fine to cook these as well. 

Occasionally, there may be "curvy" beans that you have to cut individually.

Put the beans into a pot and add just enough water to cover.  At this point, you can use your imagination when adding seasonings.  In the picture below, I simply added some dill weed, cooked the beans until done, splashed in a dash of olive oil, and added salt and pepper to taste.  The olive oil adds flavor and robustness, while the dill adds a note of freshness.  Olive oil is one of the "good" fats.  So, while this recipe contains a bit of fat, it is "healthy" fat. 

If you wish to be a bit more naughty, try this.  Fry a couple of pieces of bacon until done.  Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels.  Add a half cup of chopped onion to the bacon drippings and cook until translucent.  Next, add the beans to the pan with the onion, along with enough water to cover.  Cook until the beans are tender.  Add the crumbled bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste.