by Joyce Peters
I remember fondly the school lunch program in the 50’s, but not the commodity canned green beans – pale,tasteless and soft, so different from just picked green beans – beautifully green, tasty and chewy. Even home cooks then overcooked all vegetables, sometimes boiling for an hour.
Cooked the right way, green beans are loaded with vitamins, especially folate, and minerals. For people with digestive issues it’s a low FODMAP food. (A low FODMAP diet eliminates foods that contain certain fermentable sugars that the body may have difficulty digesting.) Green beans insoluble and soluble fiber make them very heart and colon healthy too.
Versatile green beans are great for stir frys. Blanch first to keep that bright green color and soften, drain well and use in stir fry recipes with your choice of protein. Also, try crisp cooked beans in green salads or marinated in 3 Bean Salad recipes.
For an elegant side dish, green beans are featured in this Italian casserole adapted from LidiasItaly.com:
Green Bean Gratinate
Serves 6 or more
1 ½ lb. fresh green beans
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ lb. cherry tomatoes (about 3 cups) cut in half if large
½ lb fresh mozzarella
4-6 basil leaves (can substitute parsley or oregano)
1 cup grated Parmigiano or Grana Padano
½ cup dry bread crumbs or panko
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Arrange a rack in the top of of the oven and preheat to 375℉. Boil 5 quarts of water in a large pot. Trim both ends of the beans and remove strings if present. Add to the pot and cover until the water boils again. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain. Season hot beans with ¼ tsp.salt. Cool.
Cut the mozzarella into ½” cubes. Slice the basil leaves into thin shreds.
Toss the grated cheese and bread crumbs together in a small bowl.
Grease a casserole dish with a little of the butter. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of the cheese and bread crumb mixture on the bottom.
Mix beans, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, ¼ tsp. salt, and the ¾ cup of the cheese and bread crumb mixture and olive oil together in a bowl. Pour all into the casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bread mixture. Dot top with butter.
Bake for 10 minutes. Turn and bake for 10 or more minutes until brown. Serve.
If you like the results, use the same technique for broccoli and cauliflower.
