My Favorite Beans

I am thankful for green beans.

Sure, green beans are just the unripe pod of a common legume, but I simply love them! Of course, I am talking about fresh green beans, and maybe frozen ones. I am not referring to the nasty, olive drab, water-logged worm-like things that come from a can. It's no wonder vegetables have a reputation of being unappealing...these are! Canned green beans have a acidic "can" flavor and absolutely no "snap." Fresh green beans are bright, sweet, a bit nutty and have a very pleasant crunch.

Green beans are a food on which I can make a whole meal! My favorite way to prepare them is to microwave whole beans in a tiny amount of water in a covered dish for a couple minutes, just to get the cooking process started. While they are steaming in the microwave, I heat a saute pan and add a bit of olive oil and copious amounts of minced garlic. I add the drained beans to the pan and saute a few minutes until they are crisp-tender. I toss them with some salt, and dig in! If I am feeling like something more substantial, I embellish them with some toasted walnuts and crumbled feta cheese. MMM!

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I feel obliged to mention my thoughts on the ubiquitous "Green Bean Casserole." My advice...Just say, "No!" The only purpose for its existence is to try to make canned green beans palatable. Suspicions should be aroused when a recipe adds so much to something as pure and straightforward as green beans. Besides, does the Thanksgiving table really need another heavy, sauce-laden dish? Most of the green bean casseroles I've had have been overcooked and dry anyway, providing very little "green bean goodness."

I hardly ever eat desserts...even scrumptious ones I make myself, but I seem to have no self control when it comes to green beans. They are one of the few things I could "pig out" on. I guess I could have worse vices...

Green beans bring abundant pleasure to my taste buds and that's why they are one of the things for which I am thankful!