Keep it Simple Summer Veggies

These are just fresh green beans that have 3 different colors. Fresh vegetables and fruit are so colorful it is almost breathtaking at how beautiful they can be. I must be a food-nerd to love fresh food so much, but I really do think it is amazing. So, really why not keep it simple...add some more flavor, but then enjoy the fresh summer produce in it's most natural form. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. And, if you are not a "vegetable" person... I dare you to try and experiment and force yourself to try new ones... and maybe before you know it you will start to like and even crave the flavors. Our bodies do crave the nutrients. I was recently pondering the idea of how the majority of Americans eating the "western" diet are overfed, but undernourished. This means that maybe we keep eating empty calories because our bodies are in fact hungry, but they are hungry for vitamins, and minerals and foods that actually gives energy and nourishment. Interesting thought when obesity is rampant and snacking seems to be a major issue in the western diet. We are still hungry though, so I guess it makes sense.

Here is a simple recipe to eat up all those fresh green beans that you can pick or buy from your local farmer:

I pinch off the ends of the beans so that I don't have the stems and hard parts in my dish, but really you can eat the whole thing, just be careful of the stems I guess. (In my pictures I have bent off all of the ends... no need to get out the cutting board and knife, just bend the ends and pop... they come off!)

Boil 2 pounds of fresh tri-color or green beans in a large pot of boiling water. Boil for about 5-7 minutes until it takes off the sharp crunch of the bean. Wait till it is softened, but still crunchy. That is how I like my beans cooked, but if you like them softer or crunchier... then adjust your time and keep a watch over them to not over-cook. Then strain in the sink over cooler water. Add some dressing...

In a small food processor, or magic bullet type blender add:

1-2 chopped garlic cloves

1 TB or so of balsamic vinegar

1 Tb or so of extra virgin olive oil

3-4 large fresh basil leaves, or thyme or oregano

cracked pepper and sea salt to taste

Blend all the ingredients together and get a whipped up dressing. Pour over the warm beans and mix with tongs or your hands to make sure all the beans get covered. Add more pepper or sea salt if you need it, but really just add the little bit of dressing to bring out the fresh, green and crunchy flavor of the beans. Full of vitamins and fiber. Delicious!

Serve warm, or serve as a cold side dish to any meal. Have fun with fresh vegetables this week and remember that the best kinds of foods to eat are those that come from the ground. Something that Michael Pollan mentions again and again in his book, "In Defense of Food" is that the best diet to be on is one that consists of the foods your great-grandmother would recognize. Not the packaged, wrapped, processed, and refined foods of our present western diet situation. So have fun with it... get some colorful food in the kitchen and be inspired!