How to cook fresh-picked, green beans
You don’t have to be a 5 star chef to make incredible tasting food.
I sincerely believe that starting with fresh, local, real food is a recipe for success every time.
Likewise, starting with a vegetable that has traveled by truck from halfway around the world and has been for sale in your local supermarket for who knows how long – is going to be inferior every time.
When I eat fresh green beans from my garden I feel like I’m eating something from the finest restaurant in Kentucky.
They are just so elegant. So tasty. So crisp. So…… fresh.
You don’t have to be in a fine dining establishment to enjoy fresh-from-the-garden, sauteed, green beans.
You can have them tonight in your own kitchen.
Ingredients:
- Fresh picked green beans (this can be from your garden, a friend’s garden CSA, roadside stand or a farmers market)
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
You could add garlic, onions, bacon, or lard….. but it’s not necessary. Fresh green beans are bursting with flavor and need nothing other than some butter & seasoning to shine.
Here is one of my green bean beds (I have 3). This bed is filled with white 1/2 Runners. They taste just like a green bean.
Young, tender, amazing. When you pick the beans at this stage, they are hard to beat and hard to ruin. They are just coming on strong. There aren’t any spots, blemishes or problems developing on the fruit. Exactly what I want.
I also picked some of my hot-pink, crazy beans while I was at the garden. Toss all the beans into a colander & rinse them well.
Once they are clean just snap off the end that was attached to the plant. You can leave the tip (the other end of the bean) on. Then break them into pieces if you want bites. You can leave them whole if you like ’em long.
When the green beans are this young, they haven’t yet developed those annoying “strings.” If yours have strings, just pull them off before you chuck the beans in the pot.
I put the green beans directly into my cast iron skillet after they’re snapped.
Depending on what website you are on or who is telling you how to cook fresh green beans, you may hear things like: first boil the beans. Or first fry 2 slices of bacon in the pan. They aren’t wrong – but it’s not necessary. There’s no need to boil them before you saute them. I don’t have time for extra steps. I just want beans. Bacon is always a positive as far as I’m concerned, but once again, not necessary. These will be so fresh & tasty. I say save the pig for the canned green beans you’ll be eating in December.
Then add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and a little salt & pepper. You won’t need much.
Give them a few tosses & let them cook for 5-10 minutes, or until desired tenderness. I like my fresh beans to have some crispness. If I wanted mushy beans swimming in pig fat and bacon – I’d go get the beans I canned from last year’s garden.
For fresh beans, I want fresh.
If you like your beans a bit more “done” just lay a piece of foil (or a lid) over the pan to steam the green beans.
That’s it – aside from cutting up a cucumber, this may be the easiest side dish you can make. And they will taste like you did something special and tremendous and spectacular.
Serve with some potatoes & ribs for a tremendous supper!
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-Candi
Ingredients
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Snap off the ends of the beans and break them into pieces. If yours have strings, just pull them off before you chuck the beans in the pot. Toss the beans into the skillet & add 1-2 tablespoons of butter. Salt & pepper to taste. Give them a few tosses & let them cook. Cover with lid for 5-10 minutes (to steam), or until desired tenderness.
