Tons of Green Beans

[Jeserf]

Bought green beans at the market and farmer gave me even more - so, I'm just one person, with tons of green beans.

Ideally, I'd like as few as possible to go to waste.

So what should I do with them?

I was going to stir fry them tonight with whatever I have around, but other ideas would be awesome. I am a moderately experienced cook, so gimme your best!

[Querencia]

Make Dilly Beans. Wash and trim green beans. Pack them upright into glass jars, and along with them pack a lot of garlic cloves and sprigs of fresh dill, also a teaspoon of mustard seed and a teaspoon of dried hot chili flakes per jar. To a pound of beans take 1 1/2 cups vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water, and 2 tablespoons salt and bring to a boil. Pour (hot) over beans. Screw tops onto jars and put in refrigerator for a month before you use the Dilly Beans as a relish or to serve with drinks etc.. You don't need to process this preparation as you are storing it in refrigerator.

[Sharuf]

Aaahh! Dilly beans. A family-gathering staple. (We grew our own beans.)

[Anne H]

Did someone mention three bean salad? Very delish, and lasts several days in the fridge, and substantially different from many other ways of eating beans.

[Sharuf]

Steam them and whip them in a blender. It's a dieter's substitute for mashed potatoes.

[rcallner]

chop some pork loin (lean meat) into about 1/2 inch chunks. Let that rest in a mix of oil, minced garlic and ginger; wash and slice your green onions on the bias in half, steam or nuke them 3-5 minutes. Stir fry on high heat with a little more oil, soy sauce, a touch of mirin or brown sugar, some broth, eat with rice.

For an Italian accent, make fresh pesto or buy a good one, steam good potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch slices, steam/boil 3 mins your green beans, make fettucine or tagliatelle and enjoy a classic Ligurian pasta, all mixed together.

[Jeserf]

Not a pork eater...but, tonight I think I'll roast some and bring them to work. I have some fresh rosemary from the market, too...

[Axalady]

My husband and I like our green beans boiled until they're soft. I boil them in low sodium chicken stock. It really adds a great depth of flavor to them.

[bigjimbray]

I am one of those that would can them the southern style. but since you don`t can
one advice a person gave you was to blanch them and put in the freezer. that way
you can take as much as you like when ever and enjoy them. in different recipes.
makes sense to me.

[howchow]

I like to add green beans to pasta dressed with fresh pesto...just add the cut string beans in with the pasta when cooking - usually about the same cooking time - drain add pesto sause and a about a 1/2 cup of the cooking water -

[cyberroo]

I toss steamed green beans with a vinaigrette of mustard and walnut oil, then top them with a mixture of chopped red onion and chopped walnuts or pecans. This is really good with some potatoes in it, as well.

[steakman55]

Try some Greek green beans. Boil until almost done, then drain. Saute some onion until done in EVOO, then add the green beans and some crushed tomatoes, not too much. I don't have a recipe but you should be able to Google it and find one.

Southern green beans with a few new potatoes (redskin), either small whole ones or slice larger ones. Dice a stalk of celery in with it and cook until done.

[Will Owen]

Real Southern green beans are done with a little bacon, an onion and a couple of pods of dried red pepper. For about two pounds of beans, you fry some chopped bacon in the pot with a little olive oil (my addition), and when it's just starting to brown remove it with a slotted spoon and put in the chopped onion and several grinds of black pepper. Cook that just until transparent, add the bacon back in along with the peppers and the beans, stir everything around to mix, and pour in water just to cover. For "beans'n'taters" you include potatoes as steakman says. Bring to the boil, reduce to a very gentle simmer, salt to taste and cook until potatoes are tender. This is especially good if some of your beans have gotten to the shelling stage - "shellies" and green beans mixed are a great Southern favorite.

[torty]

Roasted. They are addictive. I'm having a plate for lunch right now. Toss with salt, pepper and olive oil. Spread on large sheet pan and place in very hot oven until done to your taste. I like some brown bits. This uses alot of beans since they wilt down.

[Anne H]

Yes. When I make green beans this way, my family literally eats twice as many as when I cook them any other way-- and I think they would eat three times as many if I cooked them. Incredibly delicious, just incredible. Add a little (or a lot) of chopped garlic too if you want.

And while I'm writing, my second suggestion is lightly blanched in a salad with potatoes and tomatoes and onion and a vinagrette. Add hard boiled eggs and it's a meal. Stupendously delicious.

[HillJ]

green beans wok nicely, work well in soup, add crunch to green salads.
but my fav use of late is: http://www.greenbeansnmore.com/recipe...
a unique combo.

[monavano]

I imagine the sweet pears with the salty bacon tastes great. I'm going to try this.

[JungMann]

All the above are great recommendations, especially the curry. I LOVE green beans with red curry paste. You can also use them for a simple salade niçoise, fermented black bean stir fry, casserole or follow my personal recipe for a saute in olive oil with garlic, hazelnuts, and lemon rind.

[Lisbet]

I blanch mine to store in the freezer for future use! Also green bean salad is wonderful. The salad can be dressed with a french dressing (OO and onion/garlic). Dill and bacon also compliment green beans extremely well. Cook them until JUT tender and still have just a little crunch.

[monavano]

How about Penang? It's a spicy Thai dish with red curry coconut sauce and peanuts. You can add any protein you want; chicken, beef, shrimp.
You can also partly cook them then freeze them.
They are great as a cold salad too. Blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes then shock in ice water.
They are fantastic pickled too. I love to crunch on them with a nice glass of white wine:-)

www.piealamona.blogspot.com

[itryalot]

Pickled are great. Make them spicy too.

[Dax]

Agreed, spicy green beans are awesome in a bloody mary instead of celery and even great by themselves.

[Jeserf]

how does one do that?
i've never pickled, but dont you need jars and sterile stuff? I've not got that...

[Dax]

I think you only need jars if you plan on pickling and sealing multiple jars to keep.