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| 2-3/4 pounds green beans |
In the garden, the strong upright plants are highly resistant to bean viruses. They don't require staking, yet are tall enough to allow the beans to hang freely, resulting in beautiful clean, straight beans.
In the kitchen, they're easy to process. I typically stem them as I pick them, right off the plant. No strings to worry about and no need to trim the tips. The most we might do is snap them into manageable bite-sized pieces that fit easily into the steamer basket. Then, into the pressure pot.
If cooking under pressure is not part of your repertoire, I encourage you to try it! What are the benefits, you might ask? First and foremost, cooking under pressure saves energy, time, and money. Depending on the food being prepared, cooking time can be reduced by as much as 70%! That translates into less energy consumed, less heat in the kitchen on a summer day, less time for the chef supervising the cooking pots. In addition, cooking under pressure has been shown to be a healthy method of cooking, as it preserves more of the natural taste and nutrients of the food when compared with boiling or steaming.
The new electric pressure cookers have the extra benefit of "setting it and forgetting it". They turn themselves off at the programmed time and keep the food warm until you're ready to use it.
These gorgeous fresh jade green beans will be perfectly done and tender in 4 minutes of cooking under pressure (cooking time varies with bean variety). At that point, I use a quick pressure release and remove the (unseasoned) beans from the pressure pot, setting them aside until it's time to eat. In the meantime, I prepare my seasonings. The current favorite treatment is thinly sliced onions caramelized in bacon grease. Be sure to use a skillet or pot large enough to fit the beans being prepared. Just before serving, toss the beans with the grease and onions until coated and fully heated. Add salt and pepper. Voilà!
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