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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels July 20, 2004 The Kitchen Coach Green beans a seasonal favorite Rebecca Wood Green beans are at their prime in the summer - they're firm yet tender, succulent and flavorful. But they're horrible when old and leathery, or overcooked. Here's bean basics about selecting, storing and cooking them, but first some information about their healing properties. Energetically speaking, green beans are considered a balancing food for the hot months. Oriental medicine notes that green beans increase yin, so they are regarded as a food tonic for people with anxiety, insomnia, frenetic energy, or feverish, hot symptoms. One can intuit this yin attribute by comparing yin, immature, fleshy, juicy green beans to yang, fully mature, hard, dry beans that require a long soak and an hour of cooking to soften them. Green beans are mildly diuretic and therefore considered medicinal for diabetics; they also support the pancreas and kidneys. Fresh beans have ample vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and B-complex vitamins. At the market, select firm green beans without rust spots. A fresh bean snaps crisply and is velvety to the touch. Pass over beans that are bulging and leathery - they're past prime to enjoy as a green vegetable. When green beans are fully matured, then shucked and dried, they yield the staple, dried beans. Green bean varieties grown to be eaten as a vegetable are, however, more tender and toothsome than the dried bean varieties. Vegetables with greater surface area, like green beans and lettuce, age faster than more compact vegetables, like carrots and Brussels sprouts. Understanding how they age helps us preserve their freshness. Once harvested, plants take in oxygen and this triggers their metabolic breakdown. (Growing plants do the opposite; they take in carbon dioxide and give up oxygen.) To limit vegetables' oxygen supply - especially fast respirators with greater surface area like green beans - wrap them tightly in plastic. Additionally, store them in a chilled, humid atmosphere and plan to use them quickly. Today, we have an increasing variety of fresh green beans to choose from. While they're typically green in color, they may also be yellow or purple. Heirloom, or old fashioned, bean varieties have a long fibrous string that runs the length of their seam. These strings must be hand removed prior to cooking. This string gave rise to their alternate name, string beans. Modern cultivars are stringless and therefore easier to prepare. Another common name, French bean, is misleading because our common green bean varieties originated in Latin America. Other legumes eaten in their immature pod sage include edamame (soy beans) and yard long beans from Asia and peas from Eurasia. Whatever you name green beans, I hope you enjoy them frequently in the summer when they're at their peak. Boiled Green Beans Allow 1 1/2 pounds of beans for 4 people Start with fresh green beans. (If the beans are less than fresh, you may wish to saut� them with an onion or use them in a soup or casserole where other flavors will enhance their somewhat compromised flavor.) Pick through the beans and discard any that are withered, bulging or discolored. Cut beans into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Drop them into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook at a full boil until they've softened but are still firm. Start tasting them after 3 or 4 minutes of cooking. Do not cover the pot, or their color fades. When they're cooked to your taste, drain, shake dry and season with butter, salt and fresh herbs such as tarragon. Green beans are best when served within a few hours of cooking. Quinoa and Green Bean Tabbouleh Quinoa, rather than bulgur, tabbouleh affords more flavor nutrition and vitality because it's a whole - rather than a refined - grain. Pecans heighten quinoa's nutty flavor and their crunch nicely complements the juicy beans. Light and refreshing, yet substantial, tabbouleh is an ideal summer salad. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces 2 cups cooked quinoa 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans 1/2 cup chopped parsley 2 scallions, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 red lettuce leaves Add green beans to a quart of rapidly boiling, salted water and boil for 2 minutes or just until they're tender but still crunchy and their color is still bright. Rinse under cold water, drain and pat dry. Combine the beans, quinoa, pecans, parsley, scallions and mint. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss to blend. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve on individual salad plates on a lettuce leaf at room temperature. Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish. Local resident Rebecca Wood is a personal chef, kitchen coach and author. Her book, "The Splendid Grain," won both Julia Child and James Beard Cookbook awards. You may reach Rebecca or view her many recipes and articles at www.rwood.com DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams