“Americans just do not know how to cook green beans,” said Ann, a Bayfield Farmers Market vendor, as she handed me a sack of deep green, plump beans she picked earlier that morning. “When they’re underdone and too crisp, they just don’t have much taste. Give them a few minutes more time when you boil them. They’re tender but still firm. The little beans within the green bean [the seed] will cook, too.”
Having grown up on limp, soggy, overcooked beans, I was reluctant to try this technique. I got the water boiling, dropped the beans, watched the pot and when they turned a bright green, drained them and refreshed under cold running water. They were pliable but no longer snapped back. After I drizzled the beans with a little good olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt, they were so finger-licking good I nearly polished off the entire lot. The baby bean inside the green bean added a gentle creaminess. Cooked this way, the beans were milder and less harsh—more of themselves.
