"Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq." > wrote in message
...
> "Haricots Vert - French Green Beans."
>
> Is the citation in Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire. I translate it "Green
> Beans" but otherwise follow the recipe as closely as i can. Going so far
> as to go to the market very early to get the "Green Beans" off the truck.
>
> Haricots Verts
> --------------
>
> "French beans are one of the finest of all the vegetables but they need to
> be prepared with the greatest possible care. Their quality is such that
> they are nearly always good in spite of the faulty preparation they so
> often receive.
>
> French beans should be used very fresh and must not be cooked for too long
> in boiling salted water. They are best when still a little firm to the
> bite but not, of course, the least bit hard.
>
> They should not be refreshed after cooking, it being sufficient to toss
> them in a pan on the stove to evaporate excess moisture. After seasoning
> with salt and pepper add 3 & 1/2 oz small pieces of butter per 1 lb. 2 oz.
> of beans and toss over to coat them.
>
> Note: Chopped parsley should not be used on French beans unless it is very
> tender, freshly picked and chopped at the last moment."
>
> I do sometimes wonder if the French cut of green beans is whats being
> refered to.

Haricots verts are regular green beans, picked when small and thin, before
the seeds start to form in the pod. They are not hard, even straight from
the vine. They should be cooked, whole, with just the stem end broken off,
just until they turn bright green.
"Frenched" green beans, are essentially green beans shredded lengthwise, and
is what happens when the bean is left too long on the vine and is too tough
to cook and eat whole. Leave them any longer and you can shell them and eat
the beans/seeds!
Green beans are one of the most successful crops we grew in the family
garden this year. I planted successive plantings of Blue Lakes and organic
bush beans and they went nuts.
The tomatoes, I am still waiting on!