GREEN BEANS
Beans are legumes, which means that the seeds are enclosed in a thin pod that pops when disturbed in some mechanical way. This is also the way of the beans to reproduce themselves, unlike the common fruits that are meant to be eaten and their seeds dispersed together with the nutritious faeces of the animals. For the humans, beans are a resistant, stable source of food that can be stored for a very long time. Moreover, beans are very nutritious and provide both high amounts of proteins and carbohydrates, as well as dietary fibers. Beans or peas can also be eaten when they are still moist (not dried that is) and this is probably the primary way they were consumed by the first humans. Worth noticing is that the older the pods get the less sweet they are, because they send lots of their sugars into the seeds. In other words, the dried seeds are more sweet than the fresh ones. When it comes to green beans, they are one of the few types of beans that are eaten fresh. Their seeds are also quite small, and the pods provide most of the flavor.
Green beans, or French beans, of good quality are not easy to find. As fresh they are very quickly "dying", with loss of water and a quick consumption of nutrients that makes the bean unedible. However there exists an inbred variety of green bean that is more resistant to the time damage. When you look for green beans, the ones with broad and flat pods have more flavor than the round ones, so keep that in mind. Choose the beans that look fresh, are not wrinkled, are unblemished, and are possibly packaged in plastic wrap especially if imported (although if they are really fresh from a local vendor then they don't have to be that carefully packaged, provided that you cook them right away).
Green beans are best and in season during summer and early fall, and this is also when they are cheapest. Nowadays however you can obtain them throughout the year, as lots of green beans come from warmer countries, especially those from Africa.
From the nutritional point of view, green beans provide lots of bone-friendly vitamin K, and also the anti-oxidative vitamin C. For the cardiovascular system, not only vitamin C but also a considerable amount of vitamin A, magnesium, and potassium is included in the vegetable. Green beans also carry some iron and omega 3 fatty acids, although in lesser amounts. Due to their fibrous nature, they give you a good deal of dietary fibers as well. The only bad thing with green beans is their level of oxalates - it's too high for them to be safely indulged by people with kidney stones or gallbladder stone problems.
Cooking beans is simple, but before you do that, wash them thoroughly in cold water and cut off the hard ends. Some green beans also have a "string" running at one side so you need to pull it away from the bean if necessary. Otherwise it's a standard cooking procedure that matters - throw them into a boiling salted water and cook for a few minutes (it takes about 2 minutes for haricot verts, but maybe 5 minutes for the larger green beans - try their softness as you cook them). When they are soft, plunge them into an ice-cold water for a few seconds to terminate the cooking process - otherwise they will get overcooked. You may want some amount of crunch in the cooked beans along with the soft inner core.
Try green beans with butter, garlic, bacon, onions, or some salty meats or sausages. Season with black pepper, soy, or mint for more exotic flavor. Green beans are good with many things.