Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Green with veggies

I am incapable of turning down free produce. Which is why, with our refrigerator bursting with vegetables and vacation looming on the horizon, I accepted three additional bags of veggies. Bags filled mostly with green beans and zucchini because it's that time of year. The zucchini gets eaten or shredded and frozen for bread. The green beans? I've never had so many before. A good year for beans, I guess.

I've roasted them, which the kids really like, and made them into a mild dip, which everyone likes all right. Next on my list is the Dilly Beans recipe from our CSA newsletter, and maybe blanching and freezing some.

How do you like your green beans?



Dilly Beans, from Kretschmann's Organic Farm

"Cook or steam trimmed beans 3-5 min. Drain when beans are still bright green and just tender. Stir 2 Tbs. fresh chopped dill into warm beans. Combine 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/3 c. cider vinegar, 2 lg. cloves pressed garlic, and 1/2 tsp honey in saucepan and bring quickly to boil. Simmer 2 min., pour over green beans and mix well. Add 1 tbs vegetable oil if desired. Serve hot or chilled."

15 comments:

  1. We had this on the menu when I was in college. I didn't mind it at all, but most of the folks HATED it. We had a suggestion box, and the #1 suggestion was to get rid of the dilly beans :-)

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  2. I'm having the same problem! I'd just done my "get back in town and refill the fridge" grocery trip and then Johnny's mom sent us on our way Sunday with 2 grocery bags full of stuff from her garden. Both of the fridge drawers and a shelf have produce! ahhh!

    I like my green beans sauteed quickly in a really hot pan with a little bit of soy sauce, finished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds! My parents usually make them (and asparagus) this way and it's really yummy.

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  3. I like them with olive oil and parmesan cheese - not for you, I know, but maybe there is a non-dairy parmesan alternative? I might have to try the dilly beans, that looks very good.

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  4. We saute ours in a little butter and grill seasoning (or just salt and pepper). Because I am TERRIBLE at buying the right amount of veggies, I actually just buy 95% of them frozen from Costco - and they taste just as good! But, I wouldn't give up the free ones for sure!

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  5. Mmm. We saute our with onion, garlic, olive oil, a splash of vinegar and bacon. Yum!

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  6. Oh, I wish I had this problem. We had such a drought this year I was lucky to get 4 zucchini out of our garden...and I never know what to do with beans. Blanch and freeze, maybe?

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  7. Oh, zucchini... love me some zucchini. If you lived in AZ, I'd be on my way over to you're house (I KID TOO! :))...

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  8. Our favorite green bean recipe: Saute green beans with bacon and garlic, Mix the brown sugar in oil in a separate pan, pour over beans. Top with sliced almonds.

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  9. Sounds good. We like ours thrown in a pan with a little olive oil, garlic, onion, and few red pepper flakes (it's also how we like our asparagus). I have two of the biggest zucchini you have ever seen with more on the way. Any good recipes for those??

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  10. I never did like green beans before, but that was when I only got to try the Chinese kind...greasy and soggy! I like them just lightly steamed so it retains its crunch and flavor! I like the addition of the little honey in there.

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  11. mmm yum! Your recipe sounds lovely! : )

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  12. Well, uh, I USED to think I liked my green beans boiled or steamed but apparently there are much more fancy interesting things I should be trying with them. Who knew!?

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  13. My favorite way to have green beans is to have twice-fried Chinese Green beans, which I do NOT know how to make. Wish I did. Otherwise? I just steam 'em, or stick them in a dish and let the kids eat them raw as they watch tv. In conclusion, I am lazy.

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  14. My boys are on a green bean revolt right now. No matter how I fix them: with bacon, just margarine, salt, and pepper, with a Chinese glaze, with black-eyed peas, they won't eat them.

    Would you mind sharing your dip recipe? That might actually work around here!

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  15. I roast the green beans with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper--mmmm.

    Enjoy all the veggies!

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