I am harvesting a glut of string beans. For my guests I wanted to make something a little different and I also wanted to use this cool bean slicer (over 50 years old) that my mother-in-law gave me from Germany. The addition of freshly grown herbs and lots of butter makes this dish tasty enough for kids.
String beans, also known as green beans or snap beans are all the same with several varieties. They are classified into two different groups – bush or pole beans. If the bean plant needs support to grow, they are called pole beans; if the beans can grow on their own without added support, they are classified as bush beans.
As it turned out, the bean slicer, actually cut the beans into very small pieces. This is probably why it looks like it wasn’t used very much – the pieces are so small I’m not sure what it would be good for other than a chopped salad type of dish. If you know what I could use this for please let me know!
However, I did enjoy the written instructions that includes using lard to grease the blade!
Nutritional Values of String Beans
String beans are high in vitamins A, C, K, folate and choline as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. They also have a very good omega 3 to 6 ratio. String beans have a low glycemic index and have a good amount of fiber per serving.
Fresh, just picked string beans are tender and delicious without any dressing, but just to make it interesting adding any fresh herbs you have on hand will jazz thing up a bit!
Using butter will help any reluctant children enjoy the beans if they don’t already. If someone in my house didn’t want to eat their vegetables, I would say “what, did you not get enough butter?” Add more butter and they will come…
String Beans with Fresh Herb Butter
- 1 pound string beans
- 2 Tbsp butter or ghee (how to make ghee) (Where to buy ghee)
- 1 tsp each of fresh herbs, chopped you have on hand such as:
- Salt and pepper to taste (where to buy)
- Prepare the bean by rinsing them and cutting off the ends
- Get the water in your steamer boiling the add the split beans to the pot
- Steam for 8 – 10 minutes depending on their girth, or just until they are a bit softer but still have a crunch
- Remove from pot and place in a serving bowl
- Melt the butter in the pot and add the freshly chopped herbs and mix
- Pour over the beans and toss
- Add the salt and pepper to taste
- Serve immediately
Tip: Limit yourself to 2 – 3 different fresh herbs and no more. Fresh herbs are very strong and one may overpower the others and cause a weird taste.
For this dish I used fresh dill, chives and a bit of marjoram, salt and pepper and it was perfect.
If you don’t have fresh herbs use half the amount of dried. Here are some good sources for bulk organic herbs.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes