The Beans of August

Note from Aaron: Since the end of July, our most consistent producer from the garden has been our beans. Despite daily infestations of Japanese Beetles, the beans have persevered and have been tasty (I don't mind eating them straight off the vine).

We grew various plants from seed this year, but beans and arugula were the two Amy tried from the Seed Savers Catalog. She picked the Ideal Market variety. The seeds were black and hardy. The seedlings survived an early frost when we planted them in mid-May. Having planted them for the first time this year, they were fun to watch grow, with their shoots hooking onto everything, including a nearby sunflower plant. I also enjoy harvesting them. It is a kind of game, searching through the gnarl of vines to locate the hanging beans. Next year, we may try a number of bean varieties to see if any of them are resistant to the beetles. On Iron Chef America, they used a beautiful clutch of long beans and Amy said she wanted to try those.

Like the asparagus were at the beginning of the season, beans have been a staple of the diet, with Amy concocting variations to keep them a fresh flavor despite eating them almost daily. We used them in a few fresh greek-style pastas with feta. A couple of the other highlight recipes were a stir-fry full of fresh ingredients and a delicious bean salad with dill dressing (with a touch of heat).

Bean and Potato Stir-fry
Zucchini, from the garden
Tomatoes, from the garden
3 New Red Potatoes
2 Carrots
1/2 chopped Onion
1/2 chopped Green Pepper
1 ear Corn, cut off a fresh cob
2 stalks chopped Celery
Garlic, minced
3 Eggs

Soy Sauce
Dijon Mustard

Saute the onion, beans, carrots, zucchini, potatoes in olive oil until soft. Then add tomato, garlic, celery, green pepper until hot but not overcooked to preserve texture. Stir in eggs, soy sauce, mustard. Cook until eggs are scrambled.

Bean Salad with Dill Dressing

Beans, from the garden
2 cloves Garlic
1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 whole milk
3/4 tsp cayenne
A bunch of dill, chopped

Blanch the beans in hot water with 1 garlic clove. Mix the yogurt, milk, dill, 1 clove minced garlic and cayenne. When the beans are finished, combine with the dressing. Salt to taste and serve.