When I think green beans, I think SNAP! - that sound of pods bursting as I snip the tips off. Those days I’d help my grandmother snap the beans, she’d tie a pocketed apron around my waist for stashing the discarded ends. The bob-tailed beans would land in the silver colander, awaiting their turn in the steam bath bubbling on the stove-top. After every bean was bobbed, I’d head out to the backyard to dump the remainders out of my apron pockets and into the grass.
I don’t have the retro pocketed apron anymore, though I’d love to get my hands on one. But I do still think of my grandma when I snap my green beans over the colander. I love them as a side dish, sauteed with garlic and mushrooms or boiled and simple with baked fish.
What’s so great about green beans?
> Green beans should be considered a heart health superfood. The pods combine fibre - to helps lower “bad” LDL cholesterol - and folate to help prevent accumulation of homocysteine, an amino acid that lowers levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.
> Green beans also contain the cardio-supportive minerals magnesium and potassium.
> As their deep verdant colour foretells, green beans contain loads of antioxidant vitamins A and C.
> Like most vegetables, green beans are low in calories and can be prepped and cooked in a variety of delicious ways.
Loading ...P.S. Kelley Culp over at Smocks Designer Aprons has some cute aprons, but most are missing the much-needed front pockets (only the Kelly design features hidden, hip-flattering pockets). And for those around Toronto, I’ve also seen really adorable ones stacked up at The Painted Table in Parkdale. None have been *quite* right yet.
I giggle whenever I hear the word lentils. This may not be the normal reaction of most folks when faced with the idea of these small, rather mild-mannered, disc-shaped legumes.
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