This is a nostalgic dish from my childhood. My friend’s mom would make it when we visited their cabin in the fall, and I can still smell it cooking if I close my eyes. If you want a plant based recipe, swap in mushrooms for the bacon. It’s just as delicious!

You can use any variety of fresh beans.

Serves 2-4 as a side

What you need: 

• Half Pound of Beans, Trimmed
• Half an onion, or 1-2 shallots diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Dash of Oil
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
• Salt & Pepper
• Optional: Sliced mushrooms

First, you need to blanch the beans. What is blanching? It’s when you briefly cook something and then very quickly cool it down. This technique helps green beans keep a vibrant green color and a snappy texture. (This is also a great technique to peel peaches if you are making a pie.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously. Toss in the green beans and cook for about 2 minutes, they should be intense green and tender-crisp. Quickly submerge them in a bowl of cold ice water, or run cold water over them in a colander. Drain. 

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crispy. *If you want a plant based recipe, cook the mushrooms until browned. Remove from the pan, and set aside. Cook the onions in the bacon fat or oil from the mushrooms until translucent, over medium heat. When the beans are done, cut them into bite sized pieces, and toss in the pan so they get a little color. Add the bacon and/or mushrooms. Serve hot!