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    All About Dried Beans — Growing and Cooking

    MIxed dry beans

    Dried beans are cooked and served in many ways–in salads, soups, casseroles, stews, and chilis. Dried beans can be served alone or as a side dish with meat or pasta or rice. Dried beans are commonly boiled and then sometimes baked or refried. Dried beans are beans whose seeds are dried and shelled after reaching […] More

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    Bean Growing Problems: Troubleshooting

    Green Bean Sprouts1

    Beans: garden beans–including pole, bush, and shell–lima beans, mung beans, scarlet runner beans, asparagus beans, and southern peas (which are not beans but share similar cultural requirements). All of these crops share similar problems. Here is a list of common bean problems and possible causes and cures. For more on vegetable garden pests and diseases […] More

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    Shell Beans Serving Tips

    Beans cranberry

    Shell beans are any members of the legume family that are shucked or shelled. All beans grow in pods. Shell beans are cooked and served after they have been shelled. The pod is not eaten. Shell beans include black-eyed peas, cranberry beans, fava beans, and lima beans. Shell beans are also called shellies, shellouts, shelly […] More

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    Five Ways to Quick Cook and Serve Snap Beans

    Green beans

    Fresh, tender snap beans have a delicate flavor that is delicious eaten raw or just lightly cooked. Both the immature seeds and seed pods are edible. Green beans are snap beans, but snap beans can also be yellow, purple, and splotched in multiple colors. The peak season for fresh local snap beans is late spring […] More

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    Five Ways to Cook and Serve Fava Beans

    Fava bean salad

    The fava bean—which is also known as the broad bean, English bean, Windsor bean, and horsebean–can be eaten fresh or dried. As fava beans mature, their flavor grows increasingly starchy and strong. The smallest beans—less than the size of a small fingernail—are the sweetest. The outer skins of medium- and large-sized fava beans have a […] More

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    How to Cook and Serve Chickpeas

    Chickpea salad1

    Chickpeas can be boiled, sauteed, roasted, and baked. They can be added to stews and turned into hummus. Chickpeas can be used in appetizers, mixed salads, and soups. The nutty flavor and creamy texture of the chickpea make it a robust and hearty addition to many dishes. The chickpea is a staple in cookery throughout […] More

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    How to Cook and Serve Snow Peas

    Snow peas with eggs

    Snow peas are edible-podded peas: you eat the seed and pod whole. You can use snow peas in the same way as fresh peas or green beans. In fact, snow peas and green beans are interchangeable in most recipes. . The peak season for snow peas is spring and then again in fall. How to […] More