So for the past several weeks we have been eating green beans for what seems like breakfast, lunch and dinner. Well, maybe not breakfast. (But chopped and baked into a frittata with some bacon…ooohhh…)
I haven’t really done anything exciting with our garden green beans. So I thought I’d share some old posts and some ideas for jazzing up these delicious garden gems.
How to Pick Green Beans – Snap as you Pick
How to Saute Green Beans
Wash and snap off the stems. Pull out the string if necessary. Cut into bite size pieces if you prefer. In a saucepan, add a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the green beans with one of the following and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until green beans turn bright green and are still crunchy. Remove the green beans from the pan immediately, as the heat from cooking will continue to cook them and they can get soggy. (Ew!)
- Onions – pearled, caramelized or red
- Minced or crushed garlic
- Fresh garden herbs, like rosemary and/or basil
- Bacon crumbles
- Mushroom slices
- Dijon mustard whisked with a splash of vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Parmesan cheese
- Sesame seeds and some soy sauce
What about you…do you have a favorite way to cook, eat or store green beans?! Feel free to link up your blog posts, or leave links in the comments!
If you’d like to learn more about Square Foot Gardening, please check out the Square Foot Gardening books by Mel Bartholemew.
The Meal Planner says
I LOVE green beans, so I had to share 3 of my favorite recipes with you. They always add a nice fresh crunch to any dish.
Alea says
Our green beans have not been as prolific as yours, so I have added them to stir-frys and soups. This week is the first time I have had enough to serve green beans as a side dish.
Wendy (The Local Cook) says
Thank you, I love the Grow Eat Save posts!
LizBeth says
Thanks for the green bean review! We love them at our house. This year we planted bush beans. Next year we’re going to plant pole beans instead. Easier on aging backs!!
All the best. Voting for you every day at Dave’s. ~Liz
Beth H says
Yum, yum, YUM!
Julie says
I love fresh green beans and can’t wait to see all of the recipes. I’m always looking for new ways to cook them.
Deb C. says
Way back in the day, my grandparents always had a garden…they’d harvest the young beans for string beans, then let others mature so we could have ‘shell beans’ as well. I remember my grandma, back in that tiny Texas town, sitting on the porch snapping beans. Then she’d cook them with bacon and skinned new potatoes (also from their garden) in them. Was SOOO good! Great memories! And…great beans!
Lanna says
I pressure can ours. Two years ago I canned something like 50 quarts and a dozen pints or something insane. 😀
Kathryn says
Oh crud, by name you meant name of my dish, not my name.
Carmen says
Fresh garden green beans are my favorite. My favorite summer mean includes my grandmother’s “boiled green beans.” Long green beans, baby whole new potatoes (red or white), small chopped onion, fried bacon, a touch of vinegar, salt, and she’d simmer them for most of the afternoon. So good!
Becky says
My favorite beans are roma green beans. I’ve never seen them in a store or farmers’ market. One of the ladies in our church grows them and they are SOO yummy! Also, I had them once in my Olive Garden minestrone soup. only once.
Anyway, my favorite way to eat them is to steam them to the doneness like you described then add them to a saute pan with a little butter, minced garlic, and dillweed. YUM! I’ve never had fresh dill, but I bet it’s a good way to use up some if you have fresh. For some reason Olive oil makes this taste funny.
Amy says
Have you ever though of getting into canning? Things can taste so much better and green beans are one of them! Mine have never been as mushy as the store canned green beans. Plus I can mine with some Ham seasoning so with a simple pop of the lid I produce “wedding green beans” as they are called. Just something to take Grow. Eat. Save to the next level.