Green (and yellow) beans add a little color to September
meals
I’ve spent the summer eating fruits and vegetables from the
farmers markets in Hollister and Morgan Hill, with a decent mix of
tomatoes from my yard thrown in, too. In Hollister, the Wednesday
market will be open for just two more weeks, through the end of
September, so those who enjoy it should make use if it while they
still can.
Green (and yellow) beans add a little color to September meals
I’ve spent the summer eating fruits and vegetables from the farmers markets in Hollister and Morgan Hill, with a decent mix of tomatoes from my yard thrown in, too. In Hollister, the Wednesday market will be open for just two more weeks, through the end of September, so those who enjoy it should make use if it while they still can.
The one thing I enjoy most about shopping at farmers markets is that it makes it really easy to find the produce that is in season. I started out the summer with cherries, strawberries, and lots of leeks and fennel. As the weather warmed, corn and tomatoes started to make an appearance along side stone fruits such as nectarines, peaches and plums. Now bell peppers and green beans are showing up, with plenty of grapes and early apple varieties, and a few late-blooming berries such as blackberries.
It might seem like common sense, but produce that is in season packs much more flavor than when it is off season, or imported long distances from places where it is in season. The tomatoes that will show up in local grocery stores this winter, imported from Mexico and other far-flung places, will pale in comparison to the fruit that has come out of my backyard and the local markets.
I plan to take full advantage of the Hollister market in the next couple weeks, and luckily for me the Morgan Hill market is year round, and a quick 15-minute drive from my house. Over the weekend I headed to Morgan Hill for a Saturday morning market, with a few items in mind – late-season berries, green beans and apples.
We got gala and fuji apples for lunches, some blackberries to snack on over the weekend, and a mix of yellow wax beans and green beans for a weeknight meal.
The key to good green beans is to blanch the beans for a few minutes, before submerging them in ice water to keep their color. Then the beans can be finished up quickly in a stir fry or casserole. On busy nights, my family will often add green beans to a saute pan with olive oil, freshly chopped garlic and some balsamic vinegar. Green beans and yellow wax beans have a mild flavor that can be paired with Italian or Asian flavors. They are especially tasty served up tempura-style, an appetizer in many a fancy restaurant.
Below are a few recipes to try while green beans are in season.
Asian green beans
Recipe courtesy of “Something Extra”
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 lb. trimmed green beans
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into julienne strips
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. tahini sauce
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 lb. trimmed fresh green beans and stir fry for about 5 min. or until beans are crisp-tender.
Add 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into julienne strips, soy sauce, tahini sauce and fresh ginger. Cook for a minute more or until peppers are warmed through.
Tempura string beans with dipping sauce
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
6 c. cooking oil
1 large egg
1 c. ice-cold seltzer water
1/2 c. rice flour
1/2 c. cake flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 lb. green beans, washed and ends trimmed
Heat oil in a fryer to 340 degrees F.
In a large bowl, beat the egg with the seltzer water until thoroughly combined. Quickly stir in the rice flour and the cake flour using as few strokes as possible to combine. It’s acceptable if there are still a few lumps in the batter. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.
Place the all-purpose flour in a medium bowl and set aside as the tempura batter chills.
Working in batches, quickly dip the green beans in the all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess, then roll in the tempura batter, allowing the excess to drain off, and transfer to the hot cooking oil using tongs. Cook until crisp and light golden brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Tempura dipping sauce*
2 c. water
3 inches kombu
2 oz. bonito flakes
3 tbsp. mirin (sweet cooking wine)
5 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
Combine water, kombu, and bonito flakes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain into a clean saucepan. Add remainder of ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature before serving.
* Most of the ingredients can be found in the Asian cooking aisle at the grocery store. Some local stores sell an already prepared tempura dipping sauce and tempura batter mix.
