Market Report: Making a mess of green beans

Your weekly look at what’s in season at Greater Lafayette’s farmers markets and farm stands.

By Carol Bangert / For Based in Lafayette

---

Market Report pro tip: If you’re standing in a long line at a farm stand waiting to buy some beautiful produce, don’t muse out loud that “green beans are boring.” Because I did, and it was like I’d swung a baseball bat at a hornet’s nest. The reaction was swift and pointed. The looks and quick responses assured me I WAS WRONG.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” one woman said. Another shared, “Green beans are the best part of summer!” And my favorite: “Maybe learn how to cook them.” Points taken.

(Photo: Carol Bangert)

But hear me out. I like green beans. Like them. But they don’t elicit the same excitement I have for other summer fruits and veg. And I’m not sure why, because the reality is I eat a fair share of green beans when they’re in season, even if I don’t jump for joy when I see them piled up at farmers markets.

So, under the watchful eye of this impromptu green bean fan club, I bought a mess of beans (a term I adore – it means “a lot”) and decided to adjust my attitude. I started by trimming the stems from a couple handfuls of beans, blanching them in boiling water for a few minutes, then cooling them in an ice bath. That last step may seem a little extra, but it does enhance the color and texture. That’s where I run into a problem with green beans.

I used some of those bright green pods in a salad nicoise. There are myriad versions of this classic salad, but mine included: lettuce, tomatoes, a hard-boiled egg, green beans, nicoise olives and tuna, drizzled with a simple oil and vinegar dressing. It was fantastic, and the green beans added a welcome crunch and freshness.

I took the rest of the blanched green beans and sautéed them with mushrooms, then topped them with crispy shallot rings for my homage to green beans casserole. No condensed soup in sight! I make this dish when I host Thanksgiving, and it’s always been a hit. It dresses up the green beans but still lets them shine. Making this dish with in-season beans was a delicious bonus.

Next, I tossed raw green beans in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. The beans came out of the oven with touches of toasty brown goodness and a slight crunch. Another simple but unexpectedly tasty dish that I had forgotten about.

(Photo: Carol Bangert)

The women in line at the farm stand had other suggestions: Pickled green beans, which they called dilly beans; deep fried green beans served with ranch dipping sauce; and green beans, potatoes, onions and sausage all cooked together in a big pot. (This last option was mentioned by more than one farmer at the market on Saturday as well.) Each uses green beans in a different way and certainly demonstrates that green beans are anything but boring. I won’t make that mistake again.

If you buy a mess of green beans and you’re not going to eat them that day, wash the beans and dry them completely, then store them in a plastic bag in the fridge. They’ll last about a week.

Next week: Another attempt at eating the rainbow. I smell a victory.

Other end-of-July fruits and vegetables at the market include:

• Radishes

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Beets

• Garlic

• Greens (kale, mustard, arugula, lettuce varieties -- these may be near the end until another crop is harvested)

• Herbs

• Carrots

• Okra

• Peppers: Bell and hot varieties

• Potatoes

• Zucchini, zucchini blossoms, summer squash and other squash varieties

• Tomatoes of all shapes and sizes

• Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries

• Cherries, peaches, plums, apricots (from Michigan and Georgia)

DAYS/HOURS FOR THE MARKETS

West Lafayette Farmers Market: 3:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, through October. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the West Lafayette market. The market is held at Cumberland Park in West Lafayette with more than 50 vendors.

Lafayette Farmers Market: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays, through October, on Fifth Street between Columbia Street and mid-block to Ferry Street, and Main Street between Fourth and Sixth streets.

Purdue Farmers Market: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays, through October. The Purdue Farmers Market is held on the Memorial Mall on Purdue’s campus. This market is a concession-heavy market that allows students, faculty and staff to have lunch options in a unique outdoor setting.

---

Carol Bangert, editor of Greater Lafayette Magazine, has been a regular at Greater Lafayette farmers markets for more than 20 years. From May through October, she’ll scout out in-season produce at the markets and report back on fresh finds and how to use them.

---

UPDATE: EXTEND YOUR BASED IN LAFAYETTE SUBSCRIPTION BY CHIPPING IN FOR THE CASAs FOR KIDS FUND: We’re a few days from the 2025 edition of the Subaru CASA Cycling Challenge, a 24-hour event held Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2-3, at the two-mile Subaru of Indiana Automotive test track in Lafayette. Back again will be a version of Bangert Brothers team to put in some laps in support to the CASAs for Kids Fund here in Tippecanoe County. Just like last year, I’ll add a free month to your full-access Based in Lafayette subscription for a donation of any amount to the Bangert Brothers team or team members.

So far, Based in Lafayette subscribers have contributed more than $4,000. Thanks for making it happen.

Thank you for supporting Based in Lafayette, an independent, local reporting project. Free and full-ride subscription options are ready for you here.

Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.