Green beans can be transformed into a variety of delicious dishes. Before cooking, prepare the vegetables by trimming the ends, removing the stringy fibers from both sides of the pods, washing them in cold water, and cutting them into 3-5 cm pieces. Then, gradually immerse them in salted boiling water to avoid stopping the boil. Cook them in a large amount of water to maintain their vibrant green color.
Green Beans in a Skillet: Boil until tender in salted boiling water, then transfer to a skillet with oil. Add sautéed green onions, thyme or parsley, sprinkle with salt and pepper, pour in beaten eggs, and finish cooking in the oven. Serve in the same skillet. For 200g of green beans, use 20g of green onions, 30g of clarified butter, 2 eggs, and 5g of parsley or thyme; season with salt and pepper to taste. The beans should be tender-crisp.
Prepare the beans as described above, then cut them diagonally into 5 cm lengths. Place them in a pot with heated fat and sauté for a minute while stirring. Add water, salt, and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for about three minutes until the pods turn bright green, then remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 5-6 minutes, stirring gently. Once the water evaporates, the beans will become tender-crisp. For 400g of beans, use 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1/3 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Beans with Oil: Boil 750g of green beans in salted water. Add 1/2 bunch of finely chopped dill and pour in 4 tablespoons of oil. Serve with kefir.
You can eat young beans (at the milk stage) raw, in salads, and soups. Green beans are often added to borscht and vegetable soups. Adding a small amount of mature beans to soup significantly enhances its flavor and nutritional value. To ensure the beans cook evenly, blanch them in boiling water or soak them in water for several hours before easily removing the outer shell.
Pâté from Mature Seeds: Remove the seeds from their shells, boil them in soft unsalted water, and pass through a sieve. Finely chop the lard and place it in a pot over heat. Once the fat melts, add finely chopped onions, the pureed boiled beans, and soft bread soaked in cream. Pour in 3 tablespoons of broth with thyme or bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. When the mixture cools, add eggs and beat until pale, then refrigerate until ready to use. For 400g of seeds, use 100g of lard, 3-4 eggs, 1/4 cup of cream, one onion, the crumb of one city roll, bay leaf or thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
Drying and Pickling Vegetable Beans: The pods and seeds can be stored for a long time when dried or pickled. For drying, the beans should be sorted on the day of harvest. Discard any wilted or spoiled ones, trim the ends, remove the fibers along the seam, cut into 2-3 cm pieces, wash in cold water, and blanch in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. After blanching, cool the beans, spread them on trays or sieves, and dry at a temperature of 56-70°C for 5-6 hours.
For pickling, prepare the beans in the same way as for drying. Boil in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes and immediately transfer to cold water to cool. When pickling whole beans, arrange them in jars in neat vertical rows, while pieces can be packed loosely in the jar. Prepare a mildly acidic (1.65-1.7% vinegar essence, 5.5% sugar, and 5.5% salt) or acidic (2.5-2.7% vinegar essence, 5.5% sugar, and 5.5% salt) brine. Use spices such as bay leaf, allspice, black or red pepper, cinnamon, cloves, as well as dill and other aromatic herbs. Pour the prepared brine over the beans, seal tightly, and sterilize in boiling water.