Welcome to 2015 Texas, where the streets and storm drains and gardens all runneth over. 3 years ago, we Texans were praying for rain while our state was literally on fire. This year? The grass is green, the garden is throwing vegetables at us, and the rain just can’t seem to stop.
The green bean vines certainly love the abundance of rain. They have far outgrown their vertical supports. It’s only a matter of time before the bamboo poles come a’ tumbling down. And it’s not just the vines that are gigantic.
I present to you Landry Kate & The Gigantic Green Bean! No, it’s not a kids’ book title – although it could be.
How gigantic? Landry is ~44-inches tall. And she is holding a single green bean. An “asparagus green bean,” to be exact.
The asparagus green beans taste exactly as you’d expect a “normal” green bean to taste, in spite of their impressive length. [giggle]
We pick the beans, slice them into more manageable portions, and cook as normal. Roasting green beans is my very very favorite way to cook them. (See Exhibits A & B.) A little oil, a little garlic, and a little [fill-in-the-blank] is all you need to up your green bean game.
For this batch, I used olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. The balsamic cooks down and concentrates in the oven, giving the plain green beans a vibrant kick that will make you want to put these on the menu all summer long.
Balsamic Roasted Green Beans
Green beans roasted with garlic and balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients
- ~1.25 lbs green beans, trimmed
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Coat a large baking sheet with the olive oil.
- Place the green beans on the sheet and toss with garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and balsamic.
- Roast for 8 minutes, stir green beans, and roast another 7-12 minutes until the beans just start to crisp on the ends.
- Remove from oven and serve.
Notes
Yields: ~4 servings
Estimated time: 30 minutes