Community Corner
Green Beans Gallore at the Scotts Valley Farmers Market
Head to the market today for some delicious, fresh, organic late summer green beans!
Late summer means bushels of green beans, shelling beans and soon, dried beans. The Scotts Valley Farmers Market is becoming inundated with various delicious varieties from its favorite farmers. Each one cooks up a little different, but all of them are loaded with protein and flavor.
Route 1 Farms is now bringing loads of its Italian "Romano Beans." They are broad and flat beans, usually green and sometimes yellow.
"People have it in their minds that a green bean is supposed to be really small and thin to be tender and delicious. So a lot of times people are sort of turned off when they see how big these beans are, but they are actually really tender and delicious. They just need a light sautéing or steaming. It's a fantastic green bean," said David Pew of Route 1 Farms.
Find out what's happening in Scotts Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
These green beans are grown in Santa Cruz at the Route 1 fields by the Ocean Street extension, where they can enjoy the hot sun.
Over at Lonely Mountain Farms, Kenny Baker is bringing the first of his green beans and shelling beans. His heirloom "Rattlesnake Snap beans" are green with purple stripes, and they are sweet and crunchy.
Find out what's happening in Scotts Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"I actually like those ones raw. When you cook them the color comes out of them," Baker said.
Baker has been selling these beans to a few local restaurants, which are using them in raw dishes like bean salads.
Baker is also starting to bring the first of his shelling beans—cranberry beans—to market. These are usually a pale yellowish green color with light pink spots. Unlike the green bean varieties, shelling beans are best when removed from their pods, which are just a little too tough to eat.
Lonely Mountain Farm will be bringing dried beans a bit later in the summer and into fall, and Baker has a few different varieties in the ground right now to look forward to.
We can't forget Live Earth Farm either, which is bringing a massive supply of “regular old green beans” to market. They are the long, thin green variety, and are so good sautéed lightly with garlic, olive oil and slivered almonds.
Beans of all kinds are loaded with protein, and Baker points out that they are a good alternative to meat because they are a sustainable crop.
The Scotts Valley Farmers Market is at 360 Kings Village Dr. on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
