These are the first green beans of the season.
At least I think it's the season. Surely if I plant them and they produce a green bean, then it's definitely the season.
I adore these slender green munchkins. I might even go so far as to say that I think they are the ant's pants. They are a marvelous with everything as far as I'm concerned; as part of the meat and three veg mainstay that we Australians love so much, in a stir fry, and steamed green beans with soy sauce and sesame seeds makes me cheery just looking at it.
And best of all, for some reason, they grow for me. You put in the bean, water it, and hey presto, a bean.
Wonders will never cease.
My intimacy with the green bean does not extend to everyone however, as I found out late last year. I gave a big handful to our fabulous neighbour Margaret, she and her husband are always giving me produce and I was dead proud to be giving her something besides eggs. She looked at them and thanked me, walked away, looked at them again, did an about face and came back.
"What are they?"
"Umm, Margaret they're beans. Green beans... French beans??"
"Well, I never. How do I cook them then?"
"Margaret, what planet are you living on?" (You can say these sorts of things to Margaret).
After explaining in detail the steaming process of the green bean, she seemed to be quite happy about it all, but I do wonder what her husband thought of the exotic delicacy she was serving up for dinner that night.
Margaret is about 80 and grew up in England. Does this explain the green bean black hole?
10 comments:
'Green bean black hole'...chuckle, chuckle. I too love green beans. I love them cooked so they are still a little firm but not still squeaky on the teeth. Then I put a big dob of butter and some salt and pepper...I could eat a whole plateful with nothing else. My beans are just coming to an end. I will have to wait until the beginning of summer before I can have some more. Though I have frozen some.
Get out..........I thought English people knew all about vegies....and ate them...maybe not..?
Hey, what about all these comments that think you and your blog are the ants pants...?
I buy three bags of frozen beans a week, and sometimes more...I think if I eat any more beans lately I will turn into one................enjoy those beans....I didnt even plant any, cos I ran out of room....
Suzanne, yes! I thought the English would be the first ones to be out in the vegie patch collecting those beans... perhaps Margaret was brought up in one of those schools that boiled everything down to slop!
And yes, I was very chuffed with all the lovely and kind comments. I feel like I've got PEEPS!
Hazel you had some lazy housewives, didn't you? I keep meaning to try them, I will have to order some from Digger's right this second.
LOL!!!! What a funny lady :) I'm with Hazel although I like a bit of garlic and lemon too on mine! Mmmmmmmm...
i feel a nicoise salad coming on....
Don't you go casting too many aspersions about the Brits' lack of green bean know-how, otherwise I shall have to mention the Lazy Housewives that are apparently so common in Australia....
Gorgeous little bean... have you picked it yet Ali? soz, couldn't resist ;-)
ha ha, now I don't feel so bad not knowing about mulberries :D
What exactly is wrong with your computer..? How come you can read text but not see pictures?
what a cute post and such lovely beans. I guess "ants pants" must be the same as "the cat's meow." ;)
And the bee's knees Dmarie!
Mark the computer that I normally use is throwing a hissy fit and has thrown out all the internet settings that allow me to connect. All I have to do is call the tech support people to get them to put it right again, but it can take ages to get through and I keep putting it off. So I am using another computer I have, which is a dead old Mac with issues. So when I load a page all the photos come up as question marks, but bizzarely, it loads the photos on my blog just fine. That's really strange now that I come to think of it.
So old but loyal perhaps??
Ooo Susan, nice one! I wouldn't have resisted either :D. Still doesn't make up for the mulberry thing though :p.
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