Contributed by Angela Cleveland

Green beans are a wonderful treat in the summer. Fresh beans can be enjoyed by themselves or added to casseroles, soups, and a wide assortment of other dishes.

Beans come in a variety of colours including green, yellow, or striped. They originated in the Americas, India, and China. Before the turn of the 19th Century, they were rare and expensive in North America. These little nutritional gems are low in calories and high in flavour. Beans are high in calcium, potassium, phosphorus, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A, and, of course, fiber.

Storing beans can be tricky. In the vegetable crisper, they should keep for two or three days. Be sure not to wash them until they are ready to be eaten. Beans that sit in water have a tendency to rot faster.

Some say that beans cannot be eaten raw because of their high starch content, but crunchy beans are a favourite for my family (including the cat!). If you don’t like them raw, try them steamed, boiled, braised, or sautéed. When boiling beans, it is easy for them to lose their colour. If you want to protect the colourful green, boil them in a large pot of water, but do not cover it during cooking. When they are finished cooking, plunge them into ice water. They will be fully cooked, but still retain their vibrant colour.

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