Forget the mushy things from a can…these are the real thing! Fresh from the bushes and crunchy. CSAs (community supported agriculture), farmer’s markets and produce sections will be full of bags of fresh beans for the next month or so, so enjoy while they’re here.
You grew up with your mom telling you to eat your green beans…here’s why:
–Vitamin C, A and K: increased immunity, decreased inflammation, improves skin, heart, lung, kidney, vision and brain function
–Beta-carotene: this is a pre-cursor for vitamin A, which helps cause all the amazing benefits listed above
–Folate: a B-vitamin needed to make red and white blood cells in our marrow, helps convert carbs into energy (this is good for our metabolism!) and needed to produce DNA and RNA (yep, DNA is sort of important).
–Potassium: an electrolyte that works in conjunction with sodium to keep our blood pressure stable. Without potassium our heart, kidneys and many other organs don’t work.
There are at least 130 varieties of beans…some are larger and a little tougher, others are smaller and softer. If you don’t love the texture of one type, try another one! Fresh beans should be crisp (not limp) and you’ll want to trim the both ends of the bean before eating (this is a great job for kids!). Fresh beans will keep in the crisper of your fridge in an open plastic bag for 3-5 days. The sooner you use them, the better the flavor, texture and nutritional value.
Flavors that pair well with beans are almonds, basil, butter, Parmesan, olive oil, onions, parsley, potatoes, shallots, tomatoes and vinegar. Here are a few recipes to get you started:
- Grilled Green Bean Salad: it’s fast, versatile enough to use almost anything you have in the fridge and looks amazing. I’m getting impatient for my beans to ripen! http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-build-a-grilled-green-bean-salad-with-ingredients-you-already-have/#more-24389
- Serve raw (almost). Beans can be served alongside carrots, celery and other sliced veggies. Blanch them for 1 minute in boiling water and immediately move to a bowl of ice water. This cooks them just a tiny bit, but keeps them crisp.
- This is ridiculously easy and so good. If you like you can add some grated Parmesan cheese over the top. 🙂 http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/roasted-green-beans-133821
Reminders:
-Avoid over cooking beans as it makes them stringy and tough. You’ll get ‘the look’ from your family when you serve them this way! If you’re going to boil them, they only need 4-5 minutes.
