Green Beans - oh how I-o-v-e thee

What fun, when you are served something that is a known quantity (green beans) and they're cooked in an altogether different, new way. You think you know every way possible to make simple green beans. Not so. People who live around these parts (South Jersey, it's called) are quite proprietary about their corn and tomatoes. My DH swears that he's never tasted anything like Jersey corn and Jersey tomatoes. None, anywhere, compare to the texture and flavor he remembers from his youth. I've had them before when visiting here, but it was never so good as last night.

Our hosts, Meredith & Harry, served us a delicious dinner of grilled lamb, Jersey corn, Jersey tomatoes with basil, Jersey cucumbers in a sour cream sauce and Jersey green beans. Absolutely delicious, every mouthful. The corn - Jersey corn - was young ears, and beyond tender. Like melting in your mouth, almost. No butter or seasoning. Fabulous! But it's the green beans that I went back to for seconds. Meredith told me how she made them. And excuse me, I may go grab some for breakfast. They were that good. Very, very garlicky. Hmmm. Breakfast, you say? Where's the mouthwash?

Green Beans with Garlic & Olive Oil

2 pounds green beans, trimmed, left whole

8 cloves garlic

About 2 tsp. Kosher salt (fine grind, or any salt of choice)

1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil

Steam the green beans until just barely tender, but still with a little bit of bite. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, on a large cutting board, peel the garlic cloves and mash with the side of a large chef's knife. Sprinkle the salt on top of the garlic and using the chef's knife chop and mash some more. Allow this mixture to sit for just a few minutes. Then, in a very large skillet, heat the olive oil, then plop this garlic/salt mixture into the pan and allow to cook briefly. Do not brown the garlic at all. When it's sizzled just a bit, throw in ALL the beans and stir (lift and turn) the green beans so all of them are liberally coated with oil. Cook briefly until you're satisfied the garlic is mostly cooked and the beans are hot and cooked to your satisfaction. Serve. May be be served hot or room temperature.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 155 Calories; 14g Fat (75.2% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 477mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.

To print a PDF recipe only, click title at top.