"GreenBeans" news and stories

About a month ago, I did something that was both exciting and a little scary. I gave my very first solo cooking demonstration. Normally, when I make food in front of people, I have Scott standing right there, prepared to jump in with a quick quip or ask a question that will keep me talking. To add to the difficulty of the day, I didn't know what I would be making until I got there. The event was sponsored by The Food Trust for Buy Fresh, Buy Local Week and so what they did was drop off a box of fresh produce and when I showed up, I had to figure out what to do with it.

The picture you see above was a bed of greens, topped by a marinated salad of green beans, halved grape tomatoes, onions, basil and goat cheese. Big thanks to Angie, for adding her gorgeous picture of that delicious salad to the Slashfood Flickr pool.

Source

• With gas costing in excess of $4 a gallon, Diana Morgan (author of Grill Every Day) goes off in search of grillable cuts of meat that cost $4 or less a pound. She comes up with Skirt Steak, Argentine-Style, Grilled Southwest Chipotle Chile Chicken, Grilled Sweet Corn, Black Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad, Espresso-Cardamom-Rubbed Pork Chops and Korean-Style Grilled Short Ribs.
  
• In addition to all that helpful information about grilling, the FoodDay staffers serve up a wealth of information about making the noble burger.
• It's green bean season and it's proving to be a bumper crop. In addition to freezing or pickling, here's some more bean inspiration: Green Beans With Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic and Lemon Zest, Summer Bean and Tomato Bruschetta and Green Beans With Sun-dried Tomatoes, Feta and Mozzarella.
  
• Eggs don't have to just be for breakfast. Try these protein-packed orbs any time of day for a tasty treat, especially as part of Eggs With Mediterranean Vegetables in Tomato Sauce.
• In the Shortcut Cooking column, it's all about the Muffuletta.

They say that the greatest form of flattery is imitation, but what do you call an outright swipe? I guess that would be stealing. I have to admit right off the bat that I swiped this right off of Smitten Kitchen. I came across it one day, and it was so beautiful that I knew I had to include it on this menu idea list. Instructions are on the blog.

Wouldn't mom absolutely love this salad? It would be a colorful, flavorful, and seasonal addition to any brunch menu. I generally think of brunch as more breakfast-y, but (a) lot of people include lunch or dinner items in brunch and (b) who wouldn't want something as beautiful as this salad at breakfast? Anyway, it's just a suggestion, but one I know I wouldn't want to pass up!

I know that none of our Slashfood readers would ever dare to eat canned vegetables (except tomatoes for sauce, right), but just in case you happen to be one who might eat French-cut green beans, make sure to check out the list below. The FDA has issued a warning that the canned green beans could be tainted with the toxin that causes botulism.

The beans were processed by Lakeside Foods in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The company is voluntarily recalling 15,000 cases of green beans, although no botulinum toxin has been found in any cans that were tested. No illnesses had been reported due to consumption of the green beans as of August 1, either. But hey, better safe than sorry!

The affected brands are: Albertson's, Happy Harvest, Best Choice, Food Club, Bogopa, Valu Time, Hill Country Fare, HEB, Laura Lynn, Kroger, No Name, North Pride, Shop N Save, Shoppers Valu, Schnucks, Cub Foods, Dierbergs, Flavorite, IGA, Best Choice and Thrifty Maid.

The warning applies to cans with the following codes: EAA5247, EAA5257, EAA5267, EAA5277, EAB5247, EAB5257, ECA5207, ECA5217, ECA5227, ECA5297, ECB5207, ECB5217, ECB5227, ECB5307.

Source