Nourishments–

Green Beans Always A Favorite

By Nancy K. Crevier

One of our favorite family recipes is three-bean salad, and one of my favorite recipes for this combo came from my daughter when she was about three years old. She announced one summer morning, standing in front of her play stove set, that she was going to make three-bean salad for us for dinner. “What’s in that?” asked her dad innocently. “Three beans,” she replied. “Green beans, coffee beans, and jelly beans.”

Yum. It probably speaks volumes for what was big in our family at the time.

To relieve any concerns, the family recipe truly contains only one of those particular beans, the green bean. We prefer to add kidney beans and chick peas to round out the trio, although I’m game for trying new inventions.

It is probably because the flavor and texture of green beans is never better than when late summer brings the new harvest that three-bean salad tastes its very best this time of year. The crisp, tender pods of the slender green vegetable add vibrant color and lots of nutrition to this salad, as well as to so many other side dishes and casseroles.

Green beans, harvested before the bean has matured in the pod, are high in vitamins K, A, and especially C. Vitamin K is not so well-known as the other two, but the body recognizes it as a necessity in building strong bones and connective tissues.

Vitamins A and C are rich in antioxidants that can deter cancer causing cells from forming and growing. They are a one-two punch, with A being a fat-soluble antioxidant and C being a water-soluble antioxidant.

Packed with fiber and rich in iron, manganese, potassium and folate, green beans are also a fat-free 40 calories per cup. As with other veggies, it is what is added later that packs on the calories, so be judicious with the butter and oils. With a fresh harvest, there is really no need to disguise the flavorful green bean in a heavy sauce or butter. Young snap beans, as the green bean is also known, are delicious eaten raw or just lightly blanched.

If the harvest is heavy, green beans can be stored, unwashed, in a bag in the refrigerator for about seven days. Green beans also freeze well, but must be washed, blanched for five minutes, and quickly chilled before being frozen for up to one year.

Also plentiful in the garden just as green beans begin to ripen are a multitude of herbs that marry well with the flavor of beans. Mint, dill, basil, parsley and thyme are tasty choices to toss with fresh green beans. Garlic and onions can do no wrong by the green bean, either.

Add green beans to soups, stews and casseroles, or serve them as a side dish simple and plain, or in the company of other summer vegetables and herbs. Snap off the stem end after a quick rinse in cold water, and the bean is ready for preparation. How ever you enjoy them, enjoy them.

Three Bean Salad

3 C fresh green beans, trimmed   

   and cut into 2 inch lengths

1 14 oz can red kidney beans, 

   drained and rinsed

1 14 oz can chick peas or

   white cannelloni beans,

   drained and rinsed

2 scallions, green and white

   part thinly sliced

1/8  C fresh minced basil

1/8  C fresh minced parsley

2 Tbs canola oil

1½ Tbs red wine vinegar

1½ Tbs honey

¼ tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

Cook the green beans in simmering water for about 3 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.

Toss beans, scallions, and herbs in medium bowl. Add dressing and toss gently, so as not to mash the kidney beans. Let stand at room temperature for one hour before serving.