Wednesday, August 15, 2007

BYOB-Bring your Own Bag

Murmuring guest from the flatland


Last week in the flatland, we got two inches of rain in thirty-six hours.
The entire garden is doing the happy dance and the green beans have taken off.

Now, when I say green beans that is a generalization. My beans are green, purple, yellow, green with rose streaks and ivory with purple streaks. And, I am growing for the first time--yard-long beans. They seem to come in 2 colors, green and red. I am, of course, growing the most unusual kind. The red yard-long beans are not a yard long, but closer to 2 feet. I was disappointed in the beginning. I kept waiting for them to grow longer, and instead ended up with thick fat lumpy beans.

What was I thinking? What am I to do with them? It looks like one bean can feed a family of four. Kidding…but not by much. It is way too hot in the house to can them.

Coming in from the garden last night I noticed some of my neighbors sitting out on their porch, so over I went with bag-o-beans in hand. I was thoughtful enough to supply empty grocery bag for them to each fill with as many as they wanted. They only took a few.

I broke down and brought another plastic grocery bag stuffed full of beans to work. I shunned the zucchini traitors and just set the bag in the break room. Everyone could fend for them selves. They all know just by looking who brought the beans.

This is a bushel of beans. When they are cooked they keep their color. How fun is this. Want some? I got plenty.

6 comments:

Deejbrown said...

Vegetables from YOUR garden? Bring 'em on!

Anonymous said...

What else are you growing? Got any fingerlings?

Anonymous said...

How do you cook them? What do they taste like?

Anonymous said...

Yes! As a matter of fact I do have fingerlings (white, rose and the purple) and they taste great with the beans.
I cook the beans much like I do any raw garden bean. I steam, stir-fry, grille or cook them with potatoes and ham. The best late garden bean is shelly beans. The flavor is completely different.

Anonymous said...

And Shelly beans are some sort of green bean?

Anonymous said...

Green beans can be shelled when the pods are dry.
We shell and cook them with the smaller green beans that are sitll being picked. We have always called them 'Shelly Beans'