November: Sesame Green Beans

Savory Green Beans from Our Thanksgiving Table

Sesame Green Beans, in watercolor

Every year as the holidays grow closer, all of us who read the food-related newsletters and blogs and subscribe to the famous chefs’ podcasts begin seeing recipes that mimic that celebrated 1960s back-of-the-can recipe that was featured in magazines and television commercials. For decades, it has made its way onto many family tables on turkey-day and beyond. Salty, creamy, made interesting with the crunchiness of easily-retrieved from a container fried onion rings, the casserole, which can be whipped together in about a half an hour, was especially appealing to children, and represented a great way for mothers to persuade reluctant children to eat at least one green thing on their dinner plates. The modern iterations of that famous green bean casserole often feature homemade béchamel and sometimes even air-fried onion rings on top. Cooks are encouraged to be environmentally conscious and use “fresh” green beans (even though it is likely impossible to harvest freshly grown string beans in the chilly environment that has already arrived in most parts of the country in late November). I grew up eating and enjoying that famous casserole, and our children liked it too. But, we replaced those canned green beans and altered those preservative-laden, convenience-food flavor enhancers permanently when I discovered my aunt’s Sesame Green Beans - and we’ve never looked back!

My Aunt Doris was my mother’s oldest sister. When her first grandchild was on the way, Aunt Doris did not consider herself old enough to be called “grandmother,” or any variations of the same, and her grandchildren and everyone in the family eventually called her D. 

These are D’s green beans, enjoyed by everyone at our Thanksgiving and Christmas table, and throughout every season when freshly picked string beans are out of season and unobtainable. We prefer to use frozen French-cut beans, which are readily available (and delicious) at most grocery stores. For our often large number of Thanksgiving guests, we cook 3 10-ounce packages or 2 16-ounce bags. Nutritionists tell us that green beans, picked at the perfect state of readiness and immediately flash frozen, are, in fact, more nutritious than “fresh” green beans that may have languished en route or in the fresh produce section at the supermarket for many hours or even days. 

D's Green Beans

Ingredients:

30-to-32 ounces frozen French-style green beans

4 TBSP. sesame seeds (black or white or a combination of both)

4 TBSP. unsalted butter

4 tsp. dark soy sauce

5 TBSP. red wine vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 300 F degrees. Place the sesame seeds in a small cake pan or other shallow oven-proof container, and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan once, halfway through cooking time. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.

Place 2 inches of water in the bottom of a cooking pot, deep and wide enough to accommodate a steamer basket. Place the steamer on top of the pot and pour in the frozen green beans. Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil, and cook over medium-high heat until the steam wafting through your kitchen smells like cooked green beans. Remove the pot lid carefully, and taste a bean or two to assure they’re cooked to your liking.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter. I use a microwave for this, or you can simply melt in a small saucepan on top of the stove over low heat. Stir in the soy sauce and the red wine vinegar, then add the toasted sesame seeds.

When beans are cooked, pour them into a low, wide serving bowl and toss with the butter/soy/sesame mixture. Serve immediately, or at room temperature.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!    

-Penny