Cool Beans

By Maria Anselmo | Last Updated March 10, 2016

Look at all the lovely legumes in the farmers markets! Green pole beans need no more preparation than snipping off the tips, while shelling beans, like cranberry beans, need a little more work to pop them out of their pods. And did you know 2016 is the International Year of Pulses, celebrating the role of beans, chickpeas, lentils and other pulses in feeding the world?

Stewed Fresh Romano (Flat) Beans with Tomatoes and Oregano

This dish was a staple on the family table, says Maria Anselmo. “My mother grew these beans in the garden when I was a child and she used to refer to them as “Italian green beans.”

Fresh Fava Beans with Feta and Mint

Also known as broad beans, fava beans are cool-season crops planted in the fall. A pound of fava pods will yield about a cup of beans, depending on their size.