Simple and Satisfying Green Beans

Subtitle:  Oops, I did it again*

I recently realized that I don't have any peach recipes, or green bean recipes, on the blog.  I've joined a group of food bloggers who love recipe round ups, and when someone was looking for peach recipes I consulted my Master Spreadsheet and . . . crickets.

There are no peaches in this green bean recipe, if you're wondering.  I'll happily stick kohlrabi and Spam in a sushi roll, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

 We got green beans in last week's CSA farm share so I could remedy one deficiency.  Yes, if you're my mom following the blog closely you will note that I call for (leftover) green beans in my Thanksgiving Leftover Remake Shepherd's Pie.  Until this past weekend, Shepherd's pie was the only way my kids would eat green beans.

I know--they don't eat cereal and they don't eat green beans.  They are such weird interesting kids!  Perhaps all the 'we've got all this kale, here, drink a green smoothie' of this summer has rubbed off on them, because they ate these beans right up.

They (the beans now, not my kids) are delicious (duh, otherwise I wouldn't be blogging about them) and the perfect side dish to serve to a gathering of folks with different dietary needs because they are vegan and gluten free.

How do you read this blog?  Via email (if you do--thanks!)?  I get blog updates and blog newsletters via email, and at the bottom of one such newsletter I noticed a limited giveaway for a copy of the bloggers cookbook.  I was positive I was too late, but in fact not!  I got a Kindle copy of Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of  Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals because I read my email.  How cool is that?  This link goes to Carrie's website, where you can learn all about her cookbook.

When I was reading Carrie's cookbook, I knew I wanted to make a vegetable dish using something fresh from the CSA farm share.  There are many many wonderful recipes to choose from, but I picked Carrie's Fresh Green Beans because it looked simple and I hoped it would be a way for the kids to enjoy green beans.

As luck would have it, green beans showed up in the farm share box the day before we left to visit my mother-in-law, so *I did it again:  I went away from home and fixed a recipe for the first time for company.  I did make a slight modification to Carrie's recipe.  Instead of a combination of beef and chicken stocks, neither of which I had handy, I used a vegetable soup base.  This means that the recipe is vegan and gluten free.  I didn't set out to make a vegan and gluten free side dish as none of us are on special diets, but if the end result makes a side dish more folks can enjoy, I'm very glad for that.

NOTE:  I created this recipe to be gluten free through my choice of ingredients. Check labels to confirm that your products are also gluten free. Good sources for determining that your products are gluten free can be found here:

http://knowgluten.me/2012/03/31/other-names-for-gluten/

http://glutenfreedoctor.com/gluten-free/

http://www.celiac.com/categories/Safe-Gluten%252dFree-Food-List-%7B47%7D-Unsafe-Foods-%26amp%3B-Ingredients/

Simple and Satisfying Green Beans (serves 4-6)

very slightly modified from Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of  Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals

1 large bag fresh green beans (I forgot to weigh them before we packed up!)

2 cups water, divided

1 Tablespoon vegetable soup base (I use Penzey's)

1 teaspoon buttery spread (if you're making a vegan dish) or butter

(have salt and pepper at the table)

Snap beans into bite sized pieces, removing string.  This is a great multigenerational activity--be prepared to hear reminiscing!  Steam or microwave the beans in 1/2 cup water until nearly tender (I did 4 minutes in the microwave).  Drain.  In a shallow pan over medium heat, heat the remaining water and soup base to a gentle simmer, stirring until soup base is dissolved.  Add beans, and simmer uncovered until the sauce is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Top with a teaspoon of buttery spread.  

This post is shared on What's Cookin' Wednesday,  the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up Potluck Party, the From the Farm Blog Hop, What's In The Box, the Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Tasty Tuesdays, and Mostly Homemade Mondays.

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