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What's fresh? Green beans!
BY ERIN RYAN - eryan@idahostatesman.com
Published: 07/25/08
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
ELSEWHERE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MEET ONE VALLEY GREEN-BEAN GROWER
Matthew Wissel of Wissel Farms lives in the same home his grandfather bought when he moved to the Nampa area in 1911. It overlooks land that has grown everything from popcorn to sugar beets, but Wissel and his wife, Benita, switched to fresh produce back in 1989.
"I like the idea of growing and marketing to my own consumers," Wissel said.
Some of those consumers buy direct from the farm store (11085 Lake Lowell Ave., Nampa, 467-1880), while others pick up Wissel-grown melons, radishes, onions, carrots, sweet corn, winter squash, pumpkins and green beans at local branches of WinCo, Albertsons and Paul's Market.
"During the season we pick and deliver our products seven days a week. What we deliver was picked that morning - as fresh as you can get," Wissel said.
He and his crew started harvesting green beans July 17 and will continue through October.
He had five suggestions on how to pick, cook and enjoy them in season:
1. Young beans are best for flavor and texture, meaning they should always snap when broken.
2. Try to pick pods that do not have fully formed beans inside.
3. Wash any produce thoroughly before eating.
4. Green beans are good raw, just like carrots and broccoli.
5. Try baking fresh green beans with a light coating of olive oil.
Arrange them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Check for desired tenderness and sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese before serving.
When mom said, 'Eat your greens,' she was onto something.
There are many reasons why green beans don't taste like a cheeseburger, and they are all nutritious.
Each slender, tender, tasty bean contains vitamins K, C, A, B1, B2 and B3. That's in addition to calcium, potassium, protein, iron, magnesium, manganese, folate, tryptophan, phosphorus, fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. It boils (deliciously) down to the fact that if you were on a deserted island and could only take one food, green beans would be a wise bet.
Commonly called "string beans," these greenies are in the same family as pinto, kidney and black beans, but they don't have to be shelled. The pod, beans and seeds all are edible.
For the best flavor, shop wherever beans are sold loose so you can pick through them. Ideal specimens have a smooth feel and a vibrant green color. The texture should be firm, and they should snap crisply when broken in half.
Erin Ryan: 672-6732
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