Edible Paradise

RECIPES:  Braised Romano Beans, Spicy Sichuan Long Beans. Southwest Succotash, Niçoise a la Papa O's, Filet Mignon Spring Rolls with a side of Szechwan Haricot Vert and Shiitake Mushrooms

It's prime time for beans at the farmers market right now and there are many varieties available.

When I say “beans,” I am talking about the New World vegetable also known as snap beans or green beans. At one time they were called string beans, but there are almost none grown today where the string is present. When beans mature and seeds form, you have what are referred to as shelling beans, or just “shelleys.”

Sizes range from 2-3 inches long and almost matchstick thin to 7-8 inch long by 1 inch wide flat beans. There are also yardlong or Chinese Long Beans used in Asian cuisine that are closer to 18-24 inches long in reality. Beans are a colorful lot as well, coming in various shades of greens, yellow, and even purple. One thing about the colored beans; the yellow ones will maintain most of their color when cooked, only fading a bit, but the purples ones will turn green once cooked. If you want to preserve that color it means using the beans raw, so think of them as garnish rather than the main event.

Although the shapes vary, the flavors do not so much. However, certain beans taste better with differing cooking methods to bring out their best flavor. Some like to cook beans until they just lose their raw quality, but if you cook them a little longer they tend to develop a deeper flavor.

The most common cooking method is boiling beans in water. This method works for most of them, although I find that most flat beans run the risk of becoming mushy. For flat beans, I prefer to slowly cook them with some onions or bacon fat and a few ounces of water for an hour or so, when they become meltingly tender yet still hold their shape. Another method I like for flat beans is to cut them into 2 inch sections or 1/8th inch slices and sauté at high heat, browning them a little. This develops a mildly sweet and slightly smoky quality to them.

However, the above cooking methods won’t work for the little haricot vert (a.k.a. French, or filet), as they just seem to get tough or sort of disintegrate in the pan. These little beans are best blanched and served hot with butter or oil, or chilled in a dressing and used as a salad.

Traditionally, yardlong beans, which are slightly chewier, are fried first and then flavored. Black bean and Hoisin sauce, ginger, and garlic are special friends to this bean. It is quite a sight to have them on a platter uncut and sauced, although I usually cut them down as it is easier to cook and to serve them.

How to Select
When choosing beans, look for beans that are free of brown spots, bruising, and decaying tips. The beans should be firm and snap if you break one. They can be flexible, but should never be limp. The surface will feel silky, even if the texture is a little pebbly. Avoid beans any with well-defined bumps that signal the formation of seeds, as the shells will now be tough and starting to turn fibrous.

Storage
Use yellow and purple beans, and haricot vert fairly soon after purchase, within 2-3 days. Flat beans and Yard Long beans will last up to a week, as will green beans. Store the beans where they are cold, but not in the coldest part of the refrigerator, and keep them dry. I like to use paper bags or wrap them in paper towels and then place them in a plastic bag. Sometimes I also top and tail them before storing to save time. 

Fresh beans are a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene, and folacin. Manganese, and vitamin K are also found in beans in good amounts.

Many farmers have fresh beans this month. Find Chinese Long Beans along with green beans at KT Farm. See Webb’s, T&L Coke, Nagamine Farms, Mello-Dy Ranch, and Netto Farms for some interesting and heirloom varieties. Manny Netto has Scarlet Runners (a fabulous dried bean!) as a green bean, and although it is not the prettiest, the flavor is incredible. It is even excellent raw (my kids eat them for lunches and snacks as you would a carrot) and has a slightly fruity taste, but sautéed it is great. Just be sure to leave some for me! See you ‘round the market.