Grown at Goldbush Micro Farm
Beans 101 or How to Become a Bean Queen.
I wanted to share this info with you to give you confidence to use beans in as many different, delicious ways as possible. Whether you got them from us or bought them at the supermarket or grew them yourself! This Info Sheet is a downloadable PDF so you can see all the info and the recipes. If you want to print off the recipes don't print page one to save on ink. It includes how to store, prepare and cook green beans (of any colour!).
Green beans, string beans, fresh beans, snap beans, and the fancy sounding “haricots verts" (they all essentially refer to the same thing) come in all kinds of colors — green, yellow “wax,” purple, and speckled. Here at Goldbush we grow a green and a yellow dwarf bean and several 'runner' bean varieties that grow very tall but don't do as well in our windy location.
Best Uses for Green Beans:
Stir Fried Beans
Raw on a vegetable platter
Sheet pan meal
Pan sauté
Pickled beans
Foil Packets
Bean Gratin
Bean Salads
Steamed with butter
Roasted or grilled beans
Soups and stews
Beans tossed with pesto
Rice bowl
Pasta Salad
How to Cook Basic Green Beans:
1. Sauté the beans first in a pan, this quickly removes moisture from the beans and
concentrates their flavor.
2. Steam the beans - Add a small amount of water to the hot pan of green beans and
quickly place a lid on the pan. This steam will finish cooking the beans. Steaming green
beans is better than boiling because it preserves a vibrant green color and keeps more nutrients in the beans.
3. Season the beans - Use olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, or use ginger, sesame oil and Chinese spices. You can even try adding a splash of balsamic vinegar, almonds, or goat cheese.
Honestly this is what we do most of the time here in the Goldbush kitchen! I toss in loads of garlic near the end of step one and it stops Jarrod complaining about the taste of the beans. There's three cooking methods described in the Bean Info Sheet, how to freeze beans and five bean recipes so I hope there is something useful in there for you. I would love to hear what you think of any recipes you try, or share your favorite way to eat beans if you like. Click the Download Full Info Sheet button below for the complete booklet.