I enjoy eating all the vegetables we grow … except for green beans!

I don’t like the taste, I don’t like the texture, I don’t like the way they squeak when I bite them.

But I’m in the minority. Green beans are very popular with our CSA folks and market customers.

So we grow them. A lot of them! This season we seeded 14 times, 200 feet each week – which makes a row of beans more than half a mile long! A lot of green beans for sure!

But there have been beans in the CSA box only once so far this summer.

What happened?

The short answer is weeds & weather. We got behind on the weeding early on and this, together with some bad-bean-growing-weather from Mother Nature reduced the harvest considerably.

Until this week! This week we finally have green beans again!

Here are some photos of our next plantings. The potential is there for yet a plethora of beans.

Nobody enjoys picking beans. It is a tiring, back-breaking chore.

To make it easier & simpler we choose varieties that produce most of their crop all at once. Then when the majority of beans are the perfect size, we cut the whole plant off, bring them into the barn and sit & pull the beans off the plants. It works great!

Rosemary loves playing in the plants once the beans have been removed. The empty plants are thrown on the compost pile.

One way I will eat green beans – and enjoy them – is this recipe (adapted from Simply in Season cookbook) …

Thai Green Beans

2.5 cups green beans – steamed for 8-10 minutes or until bright green & lightly crunchy.

1/4 onion chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger – peeled & minced

1-2 cloves minced fresh garlic

In wok or frying pan, heat 1 tsp sesame oil and sauté about 5 min until onion is tender.

1.5 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Thai sweet chilli sauce
Add to taste.

Add the steamed beans & stir to coat with the sauce.. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Serve over rice. Garnish with cashews, sesame seeds, or slivered almonds.

What’s in the box?

Green beans, basil, yellow zucchini, blackberries, tomatoes – large & small, lettuce, garlic.

Extras – eggplant, kohlrabi, hot peppers.

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Around the farm this week …

We received 66mm of welcome rain this weekend! The ground soaked it up quickly.