Our family may be a bit strange because we all really love our veggies—particularly garden veggies--almost to the point of obsession. When I was young, Mom often made us meals comprised mostly of vegetables, especially in the summer, and I have done the same for my children. Our oldest as a two-year-old used to go crazy whenever we visited the produce section at the grocery store—“Pleeease can we buy some cabbage?” That always brought funny looks from our fellow shoppers! My dad has been known to make a whole meal out of corn on the cob (We used to count the number of bare cobs stacked next to his dinner plate to see if it was a new record), and he still supplies fresh corn for all of us each summer. We wait anxiously from May until the end of August for that first ripe tomato, and then enjoy tomato sandwiches every day until it freezes, along with canning dozens of quarts for the winter. I can’t even count the number of cookie sheets filled with Crispy Zucchini this year, and don't even get me started on the joys of little new potatoes with Parsley butter.
But the vegetable masterpiece we long for most through the long, dreary days of winter is a simple, yet hearty, one-pot meal called, “Beans, Potatoes, and Bacon.” Yes, you do have to use the whole name when referring to it! My sister’s family loves this so much (it’s her 10 year old son’s all-time favorite dish) that she has even been known to resort to store-bought green beans and red potatoes to make this for his birthday in May. I made my first batch of the season last week (along with the baby beets and greens you see pictured above) and it seemed we could actually feel the vitamins coursing through our veins as we ate! Not one scrap was left in the pot. Now even though I’ve thoughtfully taken photos and recorded the entire process for you (as passed down from my grandmother whom I never met), I cannot guarantee the folks at your house will respond to it with as much delight as mine do. It is one of those strange family things, after all.
BEANS, POTATOES, and BACON
1. First get out a large pot. (If you have a choice, it’s better that it be bigger around than deep—like a Dutch oven more than a stockpot). Place a whole bunch of fresh whole green beans in the bottom of the pot which have been washed very well and the ends snipped off. I’m talking a huge handful of beans for each person—as much as you can grab with your hand. Add salt. For the amount you see below, which is a large pot to serve six, it needs 2-3 teaspoons. You will need to adjust this if you make a smaller batch. Add enough water to come up 2 or 3 inches in bottom of the pan (enough to steam the vegetables and have some juice when you are through). Do not use too much water or it won’t have any flavor. Don’t come anywhere close to covering the beans—just enough so when you swirl the pan around you can see the water down there and that it’s enough to keep the beans from burning after an hour of slow simmering.
2. Start the beans cooking (covered)
while you fry the bacon. I use a pound
of bacon when I want to serve 6 people.
When the bacon is crispy and fully cooked, open the pot lid and add the
strips of bacon straight from the skillet across the top of the beans and close
the lid back up. Return to the bacon
skillet and pour off most of the grease (see middle photo), then add a cup or
so of water to the pan and place back on the heat, simmering and scraping with
a metal spoon or spatula to get all the browned bits up from the pan. (This is
the photo on the right. It’s hard to see
because it was steaming up my camera).
This step is important, as it’s where the flavor will come from.
3. When the beans are starting to soften, but only about half cooked, lay the red potatoes on top of the beans in the pot. These should have the peelings removed by either squirting with a garden hose into a bucket (if they’re new potatoes from the garden) or scraping the peelings off with a paring knife. Leave the small ones whole and cut the larger ones in halves or quarters so they are of uniform size. Lay these on top of the bacon in the pot, pouring the liquid from the frying pan all over the top of the whole thing. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. Don’t stir the pot—leave it in layers of beans, bacon, then potatoes.
4. Cover and continue cooking until potatoes are done (poke the largest one with a toothpick or fork) and beans are very tender, not crisp and half cooked. The entire simmering time from when you first put the beans on will be close to an hour.
5. When everything
is ready, serve straight out of the pot or place into a large shallow
bowl. Let everyone dish up their own
individual bowls, making sure to get a little of everything. Eat up--this is your whole dinner (except
maybe some hard rolls or garlic bread). Everyone should be able to have a
little of the juice in their individual bowls with their serving of beans,
potatoes, and bacon. Folks can season
with additional salt and pepper to taste as desired.
*Originally distributed July 2014
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