I love green beans with lemon and this is one of the Captain’s favorites….This recipe is quick and easy and the garlic and lemon bring out the best in the green beans.
The Farmers Markets down here in Florida are brimming with those wonderful long green beans and there is something about seeing them that makes me think of the green beans Mom used to make.
Mother would break the tips of both ends of the bean (by hand) and rinse well and toss them in a large pot on the stove with Ham or 6 slices of bacon.
When I close my eyes, I can still see her sitting with a large bowl of freshly picked green beans in her lap and another large bowl to her side to hold the “picked” green beans.
My grandmother(s) used to do the same thing as they sat on their porches…(one grandmother had a large wrap around back porch, but the other grandmother had a very small screened in back porch.
They both wore bib-type aprons, which were a colorful contrast to their every day solid colored dresses.
Neither of my grandmothers ever wore slacks or shorts (heaven forbid)! They were always in dresses and they were always well groomed, but with no make-up…maybe a smidgen of lipstick….if they were going to church or to a garden club meeting/luncheon.
I still remember that old (once bright) white rocker sitting on the smaller back porch …the white paint on the arms of the chair rubbed down to the weathered wood… so well worn from grandma’s daily use!
Cherished memories! 🙂
Mother would would cook her green beans until they were soft and so full of the bacon flavor that I couldn’t stop eating them. I didn’t need anything else for the meal….loved them and still do.
However, this recipe calls for a very brief cooking of the green beans and so a different flavor which is also great! Don’t ya just love the choices we have these days with food? Yum!
This recipe was given to me by a dear friend whose children would not eat anything but green beans and so she was having to come up with green bean variations.
You can use fresh green beans (which I prefer) or frozen green beans.
This is a winner!
Thanks Polly!
And Thanks to both my Grandmothers and my Mother for giving me the desire for exploring all foods…and to make each dish taste good!
Enjoy the printable recipe below!
Me
- 1 pound fresh green beans with tips cut off
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon slices from the lemon zest lemon
- Bring to a boil a large pot of water, salted, over high heat.
- Add sugar and the green beans.
- Blanch the green beans just long enough to be bright and tender about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Drain, and immerse the green beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.(this will keep your beans nice and green instead of turning the army colored green)
- Combine the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until the butter melts.
- Stir in the garlic being careful to not overcook.
- Stir in the green beans and cook for about 3-4 more minutes.
- Add the parsley and lemon zest, stirring for about 1 more minute.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place green beans onto a serving dish.
- Garnish with lemon slices
- This green bean recipe is so good. Fresh lemon slices and seasoning make it the perfect quick dinner favorite.
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