Green Beans

And here they are, popping their little heads up, all ready for summer!  These are Kentucky Wonder pole beans, one of the easiest crops to grow, I think.  They can be harvested in mid to late summer, and there are enough to freeze a good portion.

I am still enjoying last summer's green beans, most often cooked right in with the pasta, then covered with homemade tomato sauce.  Easy, nourishing, and delicious.

One of the reasons I am in love with green beans is that, to me, they are the perfect food.  No peeling, paring, dicing necessary.  They can be eaten raw or cooked, hot or cold.  The only downside to growing green beans is that Japanese Beetles like the leaves.  Interestingly, they don't seem to bother the beans themselves.

Other than Kentucky Wonder, I also grow Trionfo Violetto ("Purple Triumph") pole beans.  These beans are a beautiful purple color, often mottled with green.  The magic happens when you cook them in boiling water and they turn green!

Summer passes quickly.  Sooner than I expect, this is what I will be looking at:

But I won't be just looking.  I will be harvesting, blanching, and freezing them . . . a labor of love.  I will also be eating them.  No labor at all.  Just love.