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Garden Fresh Green Beans

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Have you been given a bag of fresh green beans from a neighbor or friend?  How about that basket of freshly picked green beans from the farmer’s market?  Green beans are that one vegetable that just about everyone loves to eat.

Fresh Green Beans
Fresh Green Beans

A few years ago I was standing in line at the grocery store and a woman began a conversation with me about green beans!
 She said she was going home to cook up a “mess” of beans for that day’s dinner. She said “everyone just loves my bean.” At that point I just had ask, “how do you fix them?”

She said “two things I always do — I add a little vegetable oil, just a splash, and I always add beef bouillon to the water that I cook them in.”  “Really?” I said.  “Yep, that is the secret” she proudly said as she trotted off.

Fresh Green Beans
Fresh Green Beans

I can’t tell you that “everybody”  loves my green beans, but I can tell you I think they are wonderful.  My sous chef dish-washing mom tells me she really, really likes them and my Chief Bean Eater gobbles them up.  That is good enough for me!

Cooking up a mess of fresh green beans allows me to use my imagination adding  or subtracting ingredients that the family loves or doesn’t care for.

Roma Beans
Roma Beans

Whether you use a Blue Lake type bean or Roma Beans like in this picture, this recipe works equally well.

There is no time like summertime for eating fresh vegetables!  BTW- if you don’t have fresh green beans this is still a good recipe to liven up canned beans!

Blessings and Happy Vegging,
~Catherine

P.S.  Today is my Chief Culinary Consultant’s  birthday.  Here is what I am making for him!

Garden Fresh Green Beans
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Nothing like green beans fresh out of the garden! Add in a few ingredients as they cook and this side dish will quickly become a family favorite.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetable
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • Note: Adjust ingredients up or down based on the amount of beans you have.
  • 1 lb green beans
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 6 strips bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled with 2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil)
  • 1 cup beef or chicken broth
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt; use ¼ to ½ teaspoon)
  • Ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Snap the stem ends of green beans, or cut them off. Rinse beans and set aside.
  2. Cook bacon crispy and crumble, keeping 1 to 2 tablespoons of grease. If there is more grease than this, just drain it off.
  3. Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green. Add the broth, chopped red pepper, salt, and black pepper.
  4. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp. You can add more broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can caramelize.
Notes
* Bacon is optional. For a totally vegetarian dish use butter or olive oil in place of bacon.

** BTW- if you don't have fresh green beans this is still a good recipe to liven up canned beans!

 

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