Italian Pods of Goodness
Romano Beans....Italian Flat Beans....These beans are flat, broad and string-less and have a bit more flavor than regular green beans. We grow them on the farm mostly for our family, but lately they've been a big hit at the farmers' markets we attend. When giving customers a chance to sample, about 90% will pick the Romano bean to purchase over the other. We've been harvesting them by hand for about two weeks now, and I finally had a chance to fix some for dinner tonight. You can steam or saute them with garlic, or add them to salads if you like. They are tender and cook quickly when picked at the right stage. If you are growing them in your own garden, you should harvest them regularly, at least every other day, at about 4 or 5" in length and when the bean seeds inside the pod are just starting to show some definition. If you let them get too large where the seeds are really bulging, they can be tough. Tonight I sauteed them with garlic and onions and ad