A Fresh Idea....For Green Beans!

This is my favorite time of the year to prepare food.... and eat it!  Don't get me wrong - venison chili with cornbread or beef stew with hearty homemade rolls - Mmm, mmm, good... in the winter!

But, all the fresh veggies and fruit make our kitchen table colorful and flavorful at breakfast, lunch and dinner this time of the year!  Plus, eating healthy is so very easy right now.

Where we're from, in Lancaster County, PA, you cannot drive two miles without passing a little fresh vegetable stand at the end of a farm lane, usually Amish, with super prices!  And, often times, our neighbor would leave her "extras" on our front porch.




Up here that is much harder to find, so I am grateful to discover this season that the soil on Westbrook Farm is very fertile, and veggies seem to love the micro-climate of this valley we now call "home".  In fact, next year Don and William are planning to take the 1/2-acre of open ground between the pond and the chicken coop, and eventually the 2-acre clearing out back, and grow produce to sell here at the farm, at local farmer's markets, and for a few local restaurants.


That said, we are really enjoying our little garden's bounty of lettuce, squash, cucumber, and more this year.  Here is one creative and tasty preparation for fresh green beans and peppers that a friend of mine served us during our recent PA visit.....of course, it includes pure maple syrup!

 

Lemon-Basil Green Bean Salad

1.Wash and snap about 4 cups of fresh green beans
2. Thinly slice one small red or sweet onion
3. Thinly chop either one red bell pepper or 3-4 sweet banana peppers (or some other fresh sweet pepper you like)
4.  Mix these together in a microwave-safe bowl.

5.  Now, for the yummy Lemon-Basil dressing:                                                                                         
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. lemon zest, plus a few drops lemon juice to taste
1/8 tsp salt

**Whisk the above ingredients together.

Harvest 5-8 fresh large basil leaves.  Cut basil leaves into thin strips and stir into the mixture.  Set dressing aside.

6. Microwave your beans and pepper mixture for just 2-3 minutes.  (Too long will take the crunch out, too short and they may be kind of tough and won't absorb the dressing.)










7.  Pour dressing over veggies, coating them well, then chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.

 You will have a refreshing, tangy, crunchy side dish to go with your grilled meat and corn-on-the-cob!












Time marches on, as we head into August, Folks.  We still have some pure maple syrup to sell, but our supply is getting low! Please let me know if you want some.  Only 6 months to get prepared for the 2015 sap run, and we're hoping to double the number of trees we tap! 
Stay tuned for more fun and recipes from the Westbrook Farm.