Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Fresh shelling bean season is so short that I rarely get to make more than a dish or two with them each year. Last year, I used them in a corn-bean side dish that sat beneath some fresh abalone . This week, Dragon Tongue shelling beans showed up in our CSA box, Kitchen Elf 2 shelled them all. Then we braised them in a little bit of water and olive oil, with some minced garlic and some fresh herbs. They cook quickly usually in less than half an hour. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Besides having the coolest name ever, these Dragon Tongue shelling beans are a seasonal treat! Whenever they appear in our CSA box, or at the farmers' markets, we relish their nutty freshness in a dish or two. This week, Kitchen Elf 2 helped me shell the ones we got from Fogline Farm . He even separated them by coloration. So pretty! Dragon Tongue shelling beans are photogenic string beans, tinted with patterns of cream and crimson. These are one of the varieties that are normally grown for drying but can be cooked fresh. They have a sweet, subtle flavor that lies somewhere between the earthy complexity of dried beans and the green, grassy taste of fresh ones. Don't miss out. You still have a week or two to find them.