Hudson Rouse, farmer for Oakleaf Mennonite Farm off Bouldercrest Road in East Atlanta, uses a variety of criteria when deciding what to plant. He’s looking for taste, he’s looking for color, he’s looking for plants that tell a story. Italian ‘Tongue of Fire’ beans fit the bill perfectly.
These shelling beans are ripe when their beautiful pale green pods are streaked through with “tongues” of pale red "fire". When the beans themselves are fully ripe, they share the same red streaks.
The farm plays host to children’s camp all year long. “I enjoy showing the kids that ‘green’ beans aren’t just green, just like not all carrots are orange,” said Rouse. Teaching them the difference between a tender bean and a shelling bean is another lesson he shares.
Shelling beans are grown for the bean inside. The pods are tough and stringy and are not eaten. Lima beans, lady peas and crowder peas are all variations on the theme. Italian ‘Tongue of Fire’ beans are large and round and cook up to a creamy texture.
An added reason for growing these beans is that it allows Rouse to talk about the bean being an Italian heirloom variety. “It helps us understand our connection to the rest of globe and adds another learning component to the farm,” he said.
Rouse takes his beans to East Atlanta Village Farmers Market on Thursdays, East Lake Farmers Market on Saturdays, Grant Park Farmers Market on Sundays and adds them to the boxes of the farm’s community supported agriculture (CSA) program.
Unlike tender beans that bear continuously over a period of many weeks, shelling beans produce one harvest. Rouse is doing succession planting, 150 square feet at a time, which produces enough beans for his 30 CSA customers and some extra to take to market. It’s 70 days or so between planting and harvest.
If there beans are any left for Rouse to enjoy, he cooks them in chicken stock or salted water and then adds them to a salad. “These beans with some chopped parsley and a nice baked chevre make a great salad. That’s a recipe we put out to our CSA members this week,” he said.
If you buy your beans in the pod, sit down and shell them right away. Left in the pods, the moisture in the beans will cause the pods to begin to mildew and before you know it, the batch will be spoiled. Shelled, the beans will keep for several days, but cooking them right after they're shelled is best.
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At local farmers markets
On June 28, East Atlanta Village Farmers Market will hold its second annual Peach Jam Cocktail Competition. On June 30, Community Q will be selling barbecue to benefit the Morningside Farmers Market.
Cooking demos:
6 p.m. Thursday, June 28. Chef Seth Freedman of Forage and Flame. East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market, Atlanta. www.farmeav.com
9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 30. Chef David Roberts of Community Q, working with pork. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
10 a.m. Saturday, June 30. Chef Jared Lee Pyles of HD1. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
11 a.m. Saturday, June 30. Chef Britt Cloud of Sprig. Green Market at Piedmont Park, Atlanta. www.piedmontpark.org
11:30 a.m. Sunday, July 1. Chef Terry Koval of Farm Burger. Grant Park Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.grantparkmarket.org
For sale
Vegetables and fruit: arugula, Asian greens, beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collards, corn, cucumbers, dandelion, eggplant, endive, escarole, fava beans, fennel, garlic, green beans, green onions, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, Malabar spinach, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, patty pan squash, pea shoots, peaches, pecans, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, sorrel, squash blossoms, tomatoes, turnips, yellow squash, zucchini
From local reports
Braised Fresh Beans
Hands on: 10 minutes, plus shelling
Total time: 30 minutes, plus shelling
Serves: 6
This recipe will work with any fresh shelling bean. If you don’t buy your beans already shelled, the most time-consuming part of this recipe is the shelling. Count on about 20 minutes to shell 3 pounds of beans. A tip to save you a little time: the riper the bean, the easier it is to split the pod open and pop out the beans.
2 cups diced sweet onion
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups shelled fresh beans (about 3 pounds unshelled)
2 bay leaves
Salt
4 medium tomatoes, seeded, diced
Pinch red pepper flakes
In a small saucepan, heat onions and olive oil over medium heat. Reduce heat so onions just simmer in oil. Cook until completely soft, about 15 minutes.
While onions are cooking, in a medium saucepan, combine shelled beans and bay leaves and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until beans are tender, about 20 minutes. Time will depend on size and freshness of beans. When beans are tender, drain off most of the cooking water, leaving about two tablespoons.
Add onion mixture and diced tomatoes. Season to taste with red pepper flakes and serve warm or at room temperature. Serve as a side dish or as a topping for bruschetta.
Per serving: 149 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 3 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 36 milligrams sodium.
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