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Green beans
Green beans have been a bit of a challenge for me to grow. They require close and constant attention because they go
from tender and delicious to rather large and stringy in just a couple days. Since picking is laborious and slow
the temptation to put it off can lead to a harvest of tough stringy beans. They also don't germinate well
in cool wet soils which is what we tend to have in the spring. I grow green and purple varieties of pole
beans (the purple ones turn green when you cook them).
Green beans will be distributed bagged in quantities ranging from 1/2 lb- 2 lb/week depending on how well they do, so they are not usually something that people are overwhelmed with. However, they don't last too long in the fridge, so you need to use them quickly or store them. If you have too many to handle they are easy to freeze. Just wash them, remove ends and snap/cut into a convenient size. Then blanch them by steaming or boiling for about 3 minutes. Rinse with cool water and let drip dry. Then throw them into plastic baggs or tupperwares and freeze for a summer treat in the winter. You can probably freeze them without blanching, but they won't be as tender tasting and will need to be cooked thoroughly when you unfreeze them. FAVORITE RECIPES: Green Beans Almandine 1 lb green beans 1-2 tbsp butter 1-2 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup (generous handful) slivered almonds salt and freshly ground pepper Wash and snap beans. Melt butter in a frying pan. Add green beans and sautee on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. If you have a lid for the frying pan, that'll help the green beans get tender by steaming them a little. If you don't, sprinkle a few tablespoons of water in the frying pan as you sautee them. Add the garlic and slivered almonds and continue to sautee until the almonds brown. Serve hot. We love this so much is almost the only way we ever eat fresh green beans. |