Margie Beans

I apologize for posting something so basic and am only doing it because they taste so good and are a family favorite. They're perfectly cooked: tender but still with a little crunch. My Grandma Margie only ever made green beans this way so they earned the name Margie Beans. Grandma Margie was raised primarily in the Pacific Northwest while my other grandmother lived in Kentucky her entire life. The two women's cooking styles reflected where they were from and I'm pretty sure my Kentucky grandmother only ever served green beans that were cooked to death with bacon (which are admittedly tasty, too). When I was a little kid, the Kentucky grandparents came to visit us and my mother made Margie Beans- the beans she'd grown up with- to go with dinner. My grandfather wasn't accustomed to beans prepared this way and apparently didn't eat a single one, a fact that did not go unnoticed by a bean loving 4 year old me who kept asking him why he wasn't eating them! Sorry for putting you on the spot, Grandfather! I promise my etiquette skills have improved since then.


Margie Beans

3/4 lb fresh green beans, rinsed and ends snipped off with scissors
2 T butter
salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a pot. Add green beans and let boil for exactly 3 minutes (set your timer). Drain and toss with butter, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 servings