GardenSpotlight

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 ...

Here's another of our favorite Green Bean recipes, Italian style! 1 QT Green Beans, rinsed and trimmed, 1 small Onion, sliced, 2 cloves Garlic, chopped, 4 or 5 New Red Potatoes, sliced, Tomato Sauce, Fresh Oregano and Rosemary, chopped, Olive Oil. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add green beans and potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes or so. If you like, you can add a little water to the skillet and place a lid over it to retain the heat and cook the potatoes more quickly. Add chopped fresh oregano and rosemary (1 small sprig), while cooking. During last few minutes of cooking, add tomato sauce, about 3/4 Cup, and stir through to heat sauce. You may season with salt and pepper to taste if you like. Hint: I like to use red potatoes in this recipe as they cook faster than the other varieties. I also use my own homemade tomato sauce, but that recipe is for another day! Also, I usually do not cook with salt as there is so much salt already...

In the Greenhouse: Sale on All Annuals Perennials Ready for Sale Hardy Mums Growing for Fall Sales Notes: We still have a nice selection of great looking home-grown annuals including Marigolds, Angelonia , Salvia , Licorice, Browalia , Impatiens, Celosia & more. Many are now available in larger pots as well to help fill up those empty spaces in your garden more quickly. We recommend fertilizing your flower beds and pots regularly with a good triple 15 or triple 20 (IE: 15-15-15), or mix in a good slow-release fertilizer at time of planting. On the Farm: Now Picking Fresh Snap Beans and Cucumbers Still Growing: Tomatoes, Eggplant, Melons, Cauliflower, Lettuces, Herbs and some other surprises along the way! Our Favorite Green Bean Recipe: I’m Italian, and my mom always told me “Use your judgment,” whenever I asked for quantities in a recipe, so please pardon me for not including quantities in some places. Use your judgment! :-) 1 Medium Onion, sliced thinly, 2 cloves Garlic...