Everyone’s favorite green bean casserole
This is a holiday favorite that shows up on many a Thanksgiving table. With just a little bit of extra time, a sauce made from scratch takes the place of canned cream of mushroom soup. You’ll be surprised at how much better the crunchy onions on top are—arguably the best part—and how easy it is to make them.
4 cups Truitt Bros. cut Blue Lake green beans, well drained
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces wild mushrooms (use cremini mushrooms if wild are unavailable), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1⁄4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1⁄4 cup thinly sliced onion
1⁄2 cup breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the first measure of butter and olive oil (1tablespoon each) in a sauté pan. Add the garlic and onion and sauté over medium-low heat until softened. Add the mushrooms, raise the heat to medium high and stir to combine. Cook stirring frequently until the juices released by the mushrooms have reduced. Add the thyme and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a heavy saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook several minutes to remove the flavor of the flour. Whisk in the milk, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth. Add the salt and cook, stirring often, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced shallots and onions and cook until soft and lightly golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Put the green beans in a large bowl, add the mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Cover with the sauce and gently stir until well coated. Transfer to a large buttered gratin or 13” x 9” casserole dish. Distribute evenly, smooth the top and cover with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are golden.
Quick pickled dilly beans
This is an adaptation of a fairly standard, traditional recipe for dilled green beans. Rather than blanching fresh green beans and processing the jars, the slightly cool brine is poured over thinly sliced onion and Truitt Bros. whole Blue Lake green beans in quart jars.
These beans are great in everything, but you’ll probably end up eating them straight from the jar because they’re just plain delicious. The longer they sit, the better they seem to taste. (If you do a nice job of standing the beans up in four-pint jars before covering them with the brine, no one will know you didn’t sweat over a canner in the hot summer months.) Store in the refrigerator.4 cups Truitt Bros. whole Blue Lake green beans
4 cups Truitt Bros. whole Blue Lake green beans
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2/3 cup sugar
1 1⁄2 cups white vinegar
1 1⁄2 cups water
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried dill, or 4 sprigs fresh dill
2 teaspoons salt
Alternate the beans and onion slices in two one-quart jars. If you are using fresh dill, put two sprigs in each jar.
Combine the garlic, sugar, vinegar, water, spices and salt. Bring to a boil and allow to stand until the mixture is at room temperature. Pour over the beans and onions. Refrigerate 12 hours or longer.
Dilly bean salad
2 cups Quick pickled dilly beans
1⁄4 cup plain low fat yogurt
1⁄4 cup sour cream
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Drain the beans and remove the garlic and spices.
Whisk the remaining ingredients together and toss the beans with the dressing.
Green bean and whole wheat berry salad with lentils and walnuts
2 cups cooked wheat berries (or bulgur)
1⁄2 cup French green lentils
1 bay leaf
2 shallots, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/4 cup canola oil or light olive oil
1⁄2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 cups Truitt Bros. cut Blue Lake green beans, drained
2 tablespoons tarragon
1 cup lightly toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
For the wheat berries, soak 3/4 cup overnight and drain. The next day, put the wheat berries in a pot with enough water to cover by a few inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Cover the pot and simmer until tender, 1 1⁄2 - 2 hours. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt once they’ve begun to soften.
Cover the lentils with water in a small saucepan, add the bay lean and 1⁄2 t salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until tender but firm, about 25 minutes.
Put the shallots and garlic in a large non-reactive bowl with the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Whisk in the oils and season to taste with salt and pepper. When the lentils are ready, drain them and add them to the dressing. When the wheat berries are ready, press out any excess water and add them to the dressed lentils with the parsley and tarragon. Fold in the beans and walnuts, toss gently and thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. The flavors will develop more fully if the salad is allowed to sit for an hour before serving.
