Green beans are about the only vegetable (besides ketchup) that Suzy ate for a while. I tried to tell myself that this was FINE. And I taught her how to do a saute in a bit of butter with a shake of salt. I'd come home to a light dusting of salt on the stove top, green bean tips and tails on the cutting board, and a dirty non-stick pan. Mischief managed because you can't be mad at a kid that made herself a bowl of vegetables.
But I read this chapter about Salt. (Osmosis is an excellent word.) And looked in the pantry at the varieties available on Pine street:
Let's just do this from left to right:
1. Celery salt: hard boiled eggs (you'll never go back).
Hot dogs if you're from south of the border.
2.
Maldon: if you read too many cooking magazines and like big crunchy flaky salt. (I don't actually taste a difference, but I like the crunchy.)
3. Sea salt: what I use in most everything. Because Samin explained to me about how the iodized stuff tastes like metal and that's what that was so on Sunday I threw it out. We eat enough salmon, thank you very much.
4.
Merlot salt: Yeah, there's wine in that. It's amazing on salads. Ask Angela. She'll tell you about it.
5. Citrus salt: It seemed like a good idea when I was ordering the Merlot salt but it's weirdly soft. TBH, I don't know what to do with it yet. Suggestions?
6. Coarse salt: When you aren't attentive in online grocery ordering and meant to order sea salt so you just dump this in the pasta water now because it'll wreck your teeth.
But back to the green beans. Guys. They were GOOD. I steamed mine a bit too long, but it was easy. You can do this. Go buy some beans. The Piggly Wiggly still had local beans. HURRY. Why are you still reading this?
1. Steam the beans. In salty water. I used the coarse salt.
2. Pour off the water.
3. Add oil and garlic. And some more salt. I used the sea salt.
4. Saute.
5. Devour. Try not to burn your finger when you grab one out of the pan. (Ahem.)
And. they were even better leftover. How is that possible? Leftover vegetables that I wanted to eat? Anyway. Go make your green beans. They are an actual vegetable.
Patty's going to make some Buttermilk Roasted Chicken (page 340) for us next, so get your birds out and your brine ready. Did you read the salt chapter yet? It's only 35 pages. You could do it before you fall asleep tonite.
xo -
c.
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