Produce Briefs...
Hot House Cucumbers
Similar to common cucumbers, hothouse cucumbers are much longer, contain fewer seeds and are most often called English cucumbers.
Fresh Green Garlic
Grown in California, regarded as a spring delicacy, fresh green garlic are very young garlic before they begin to form bulbils or cloves.
Grower
Seasons/Availability
Cranberry shelling beans are available in summer. Cranberry beans are available commercially as well as at your local farmers market.
Current Facts
Grown on a bush type plant, cranberry beans mature in about eighty-five to ninety-five days. Producing inedible pods, cranberry shelling beans are defined as mature beans that are harvested from the plant before the beans dry and harden. At harvest, the stage of the bean is revealed by the pod.
Description/Taste
Speckled with cranberry-red to pinkish markings on a plump beige oval pod, this bean's meaty cream-colored interior also has cranberry-red streaks when raw. Once cooked the beans mellow to a beigy tan. Medium in size, cranberry beans offer a nutty, sweet, almost buttery mild flavor.
Nutritional Value
Shelling beans contain just 100 calories per 1/2 cup serving, and provide 20% of your daily fiber. They pack 7 grams of protein and just 1 gram of sugar.
Applications
Cranberry beans are mild and versatile. Simmer in chicken stock until tender and creamy, then use to stuff roasted squash, toss with crispy gnocchi, stew in a ragout with fresh corn and tomatoes, or puree with sorrel into a soup. Mix cooked cranberry beans with chopped asparagus, homemade croutons and chorizo for a hearty main dish.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Cranberry beans, which are unusual but not uncommon, are one and the same as an heirloom variety cargamanto, from Colombia.
Geography/History
Before America was discovered, food historians claim that the Old World consumed several different variety of beans, excluding the American common bean of the species Phaseolus Vulgaris. Early explorers documented that Native Indians did indeed enjoy beans as a staple food. It is believed that the Phaseolus vulgaris types of beans are native to the southern part of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and tropical areas of Costa Rica.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Cranberry Shelling Beans. One
is easiest, three is harder.
| 2 PEAS IN A POD |
Seasons/Availability
Cranberry shelling beans are available in summer. Cranberry beans are available commercially as well as at your local farmers market.
Current Facts
Grown on a bush type plant, cranberry beans mature in about eighty-five to ninety-five days. Producing inedible pods, cranberry shelling beans are defined as mature beans that are harvested from the plant before the beans dry and harden. At harvest, the stage of the bean is revealed by the pod.
Description/Taste
Speckled with cranberry-red to pinkish markings on a plump beige oval pod, this bean's meaty cream-colored interior also has cranberry-red streaks when raw. Once cooked the beans mellow to a beigy tan. Medium in size, cranberry beans offer a nutty, sweet, almost buttery mild flavor.
Nutritional Value
Shelling beans contain just 100 calories per 1/2 cup serving, and provide 20% of your daily fiber. They pack 7 grams of protein and just 1 gram of sugar.
Applications
Cranberry beans are mild and versatile. Simmer in chicken stock until tender and creamy, then use to stuff roasted squash, toss with crispy gnocchi, stew in a ragout with fresh corn and tomatoes, or puree with sorrel into a soup. Mix cooked cranberry beans with chopped asparagus, homemade croutons and chorizo for a hearty main dish.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Cranberry beans, which are unusual but not uncommon, are one and the same as an heirloom variety cargamanto, from Colombia.
Geography/History
Before America was discovered, food historians claim that the Old World consumed several different variety of beans, excluding the American common bean of the species Phaseolus Vulgaris. Early explorers documented that Native Indians did indeed enjoy beans as a staple food. It is believed that the Phaseolus vulgaris types of beans are native to the southern part of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and tropical areas of Costa Rica.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Cranberry Shelling Beans. One
is easiest, three is harder.| The Reluctant Gourmet |
|
Lola's Pasta e Fagioli |
