I don't know how I missed them. I glanced at them every day as I passed by. It was only because I was looking for a zucchini that might be hiding under the huge plant leaves, that I happened to spot them nearby. No, not bugs or critters. Beans! Nearly two pounds of them, and they were big and fat and at their prime. If I had waited even a day or two longer, they'd have become too old and tough for my liking. I really wasn't expecting them this early, what with the cool weather we've been having. It seems like just last week they were only beginning to blossom!
Provider bush beans. We'll be having them for dinner tonight, along with a crockpot meatloaf, freshly dug new potatoes with fresh snipped parsley or chives (probably chives mixed with light sour cream and butter), and....*tada*.....carrots! I finally pulled enough nice carrots for a big meal of them! I'll also make coleslaw from a young cabbage and some sweet onion from the garden. Maybe I'll pick a sweet green pepper to go with it. I baked a rhubarb pie yesterday, from fresh cut garden rhubarb. I didn't even try to make it lighter and healthier, other than making an oil pastry instead of using Crisco. Oh dear, a feast today means we might have to fast tomorrow!
I make my pies with a pure butter crust. Yeah not quite the same texture as shortening but oh I love the taste. Luckily for me I don't make them too much.
ReplyDeleteI love butter crusts, but I'm trying to be good and not eat too many saturated fats. I can't tolerate the flavor of olive oil in many things, but I buy a Mediterranean Blend from Costco that is very mild flavored, and works fine in the pastry crust. My husband doesn't like butter at all, he prefers margarine. I just got him weaned from the stick margarine, and onto the soft tub kind. I make my own spread from equal parts real butter, soft (reduced calorie) margarine and that Costco oil. It gives me the flavor of butter without all the sat fats, and stays soft and spreadable.
DeleteWell the beans must have been a nice surprise indeed! Your dinner plans sound wonderful.
ReplyDeleteRachel, a surprise for sure. They are a bit early for me, as I still have a lot in the freezer from last year. Mr. Granny just groans when he sees green beans on his plate. I think he's beginning to hate the color green!
DeleteAck! Beans AND carrots?
ReplyDeleteHave I told you lately how much I love you?
I can be there by.................10 pm. Wait up. And hold me a plate!
I love you!
:D
I'm holdin' Sue, I'm holdin'! I just picked a baby yellow crookneck (my first of the season) to go with the beans and carrots, so it's mixed veggies on the menu for dinner. I got that sweet bell pepper for the coleslaw, too.
DeleteI love you too!
Beans!!! Mine aren't even in blossom yet! Looks like you will have a real feast of everything tonight! Will you be able to eat all that!!!!!! Oh, shucks! I am too far away! Nancy
ReplyDeleteNo, Nancy, no way will we be able to eat all those beans at one sitting! My dogs both love them though, and they are a great low calorie addition to their dog food. With the two of us, and the two dogs, we'll probably finish them off in 3-4 days. Just in time for the next picking, LOL!
DeleteWoo! Good surprise!
ReplyDeleteI planted bush beans this year, and they are just starting to get some size... I've never done them before, so I am anxious to see if they actually do get "bushy" and don't need a trellis...
I've never had to trellis any, but some are better behaved than others. I love Royal Burgundy for instance, but they get so unruly I don't have enough room for them. The French filet types I've grown, on the other hand, stay nice and compact and bushy. All the others are just kind of in between. Maybe next year I'll plant Royal Burgundy next to the chain link fence. Maybe they'd grab on and behave themselves.
DeleteWe'll be right over!
ReplyDeleteRobin, you'd have to beat Sue, and she carries a big club!
DeleteWhat time is dinner? Not sure I'll make it on time!
ReplyDeleteHaha, Ray, I'd better go pick more beans!
DeleteSo glad you are weaning hubby off the margarine. I'm having the same problem w/my Dad & his wife. It's such a bad product that NO ONE should ever eat it. The ingredients are also used to make plastic products!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the beans look wonderful! Hope your meal was as good as it looks.
DFW, I'm trying to wean hubby off of a lot of stuff, but I'm not being too successful with it! I've pretty much kicked the sugar habit, giving in when I have fresh rhubarb for pie of course, but he's like a little kid with the sugar bowl. Can't get him to eat anything but white bread. Hates broccoli and only tolerates green beans. I do have him practicing portion control, and got him down 30 pounds....that's a start!
DeleteSo jealous! I've been checking out my beans just hoping for a blossom from the third planting. Hopefully when we get back from vacation I will find beans! Hope they were delicious :-)
ReplyDeleteThey were, Nartaya! I actually precooked them earlier in the day, then added them to baby carrots and my first little crookneck squash for dinner. There were plenty for Otto and Annie to have with their dinner, too. And leftovers.
DeleteGranny, after reading your dinner menu to "The Italian".....guess what he wanted for dinner??? Meatloaf! It was wonderful with some of that fresh broccoli!
ReplyDeleteRobin, Mr. Granny doesn't really like meatloaf, but he actually complimented the dinner last night. It was good, and making it in the crockpot didn't heat up the kitchen. I had a tiny bit of broccoli that I tossed in with the other veggies for a few minutes of steaming, and I ate it myself. Mr. G. thanked me for eating it :-D
DeleteI'm too late for this feast, but I think I can make it for the next one. Count me in. Mr Farmer said I looked like a goat the other night when I was out "grazing" on sugar snap peas in the garden.
ReplyDeleteLangela, stop tormenting me with your sugar snap peas! I'm probably going to do a pork stir fry tonight, with store bought veggies, just so I can have sugar snaps in it :-(
DeleteWow, you have to love those bonus harvests! Our green beans haven't even germinated yet (they were just planted a week ago) so we are still a couple of months a way.
ReplyDeleteStoney, my latest plantings of both bush and pole beans popped up yesterday, so it looks like it's going to be a very abundant bean year!
Deletewhat a lovely surprise!!
ReplyDeleteYes it was, Mrs. P. I picked more last night, just enough to make a Three Bean Salad. I only got about 6 yellow beans, so I guess it should be called a 2 1/4 Bean Salad :-)
DeleteYou are still amazing me! Beans already! Mine aren't even blossoming yet. Can I come to your feast? Oh, wait...I'm on the wrong coast!
ReplyDeleteHey, Nutmeg, just hitch a ride with Robin and The Italian!
Delete