Southern Green Beans

Dear Lauren,

Guess where these beans came from? Dad's garden! A whole pot's worth of beans! Who knew a garden could bring so many smiles? We are smiling ear to ear and my face hurts from all the smiling! Until this year, we used Del Monte Blue Lake Green Beans. Yes, canned! Never fresh. I guess I didn't know how to cook them properly. But I do now and I have a garden, so I don't see how we could eat more locally or seasonally. You should try this too.

Southern Green Beans
adapted from a recipe in I Like You by Amy Sedaris

1 strip of bacon
Green beans, trimmed
1 cup of water
1 onion, chopped

Determine how many beans you are making. This will determine the size of your saucepan. Heat the pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until crispy. Add the green beans, water, and the onion. Turn the heat to low and cook for about 3 hours. Check the level of the liquid in the pan every hour and add a little extra water if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Love,