Our vegetable this month is green beans. One of the easiest vegetables to grow, they remind me of my dad. He was an avid gardener and every year, he would produce a bumper crop of green beans that my brother and sister and I had to snap, so my mom could flash freeze them for winter.

The green bean originated in Central and South America where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. There are over 130 edible versions of pod beans. In 1894, Calvin Keeney bred the first stringless green bean.

Raw green beans are 90% water, 7% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and contain negligible fat. A 100 gram (3 1/2 ounce) serving of raw green beans has 31 calories and is a moderate source of Vitamins C, K, B6, and the mineral manganese. They can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, baked, broiled, or canned. They are delicious in dishes such as soups and casseroles.

Our recipes this month include a three-bean salad and blistered teriyaki ginger green beans.

Here is the link for the three-bean salad recipe from the Pioneer Woman,

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a35889178/three-bean-salad/

This was a simple and quick recipe, perfect for a last-minute potluck. It goes well with chicken, hamburgers, veggie burgers, and beef or pork roast. I paired it with a jackfruit patty on Naan bread and cucumber slices.

I used celery salt instead of celery and added diced red, green, and yellow peppers. I also substituted Champagne vinegar for the red wine vinegar in the recipe because I prefer the lighter flavor. I was out of red kidney beans, so I substituted low sodium black beans. I added a little cayenne pepper and some garlic powder because we like that  little extra kick of flavor.

This recipe is very forgiving, so substitutions are easy. It’s a great one to have on hand when unexpected guests show up and you need a quick side dish.

The next recipe is also from the Pioneer Woman. This one requires a bit of cooking, but It’s a still easy. Here is the link for blistered teriyaki ginger green beans,

https://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/blistered-teriyaki-ginger-green-beans-recipe/

As I’ve mentioned before, I occasionally eat fish or seafood, and this is a great side dish to serve with tuna steaks, salmon, or shrimp.

I paired it with seared tuna steaks and a simple mixed greens salad with carrots and tomatoes.

I followed the directions exactly and made no substitutions, except I used frozen green beans. My only complaint about the recipe is that it makes more sauce than you need. It’s delicious and can be used for other things, but leftover sauces often go in my refrigerator and get pushed to the back and forgotten.

Be warned, either half the recipe for the sauce or plan ahead for what you will do with your leftovers.

The recipe was easy and “blistering”  green beans in a skillet really releases their flavor.

For October 2022, our vegetable of the month will be spinach.

The Twelve Months of Vegetables

January                  Cabbage               Mahi Mahi Soft Tacos

February                Zucchini                Chocolate Zucchini Bread

March                     Leeks                      Colcannon

April                        Carrots                   Gingered Carrots & Kale Ribbons and Carrot

                                                              Cake

May                        Beets                      Quinoa Burgers & Vegan Poke Bowl with

                                                              Beets

June                        Kale                        Tuscan White Bean Soup & Sweet Potato

                                                              Noodles & Garlic with Kale

July                         Broccoli                 Roasted Broccoli & Tofu w/Creamy Miso

                                                              Dressing and Chicken Broccoli Shells

August                   Potatoes               Special Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes with

                                                              Chickpeas & Broccoli Pesto

September           Green Beans       Special Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes with

                                                              Chickpeas & Broccoli Pesto

October                 Spinach

November             Corn

December            Asparagus