On Sunday, August 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the LA County Master Gardeners return for their regular monthly visit to the Green Tent, bringing free plants and seeds to give away. Bring your gardening questions!
This month, most of the plants were grown by the MGs and include:
Pole beans: long green beans that grow UP and spread and need support.
String between poles will work, so will a trellis!
Romano beans: a FLAT green bean that can be eaten raw, cooked, braised, roasted or like the recipe below, cooked for a VERY long time on your stovetop, with a lot of olive oil — and tastes DELICIOUS, hot OR cold.
Middle Eastern Zucchini, it’s a lighter green and lighter flavor than Italian zucchini and a little chunkier.
Succulents: a selection of these attractive and drought tolerant plants that are easy to grow and propagate.
Basil and fennel round out the herb selections but there may be some additional surprises. So stop by the booth with questions and open hands!
Jack-be-little pumpkins: The children love these, and you’ll have them in time for Halloween!
Also, there are a few PINWHEEL ZINNIAS to bring the pretty to your garden
Recipe courtesy of KCRW’s Good Food with Evan Kleiman
Long Cooked Green Beans Greek Style
Try to embrace this luscious dish. If you ever wanted to know what olive oil can do for a simple recipe, this is it. Make it at least once the way it’s written.
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium onions, peeled and minced
1 lb romano beans, trimmed and cut in half horizontally if they are very long
In a large bowl mix the oil, tomato sauce and water together. Add the sugar and salt and stir.
Place the onions, than the beans in a heavy 6 quart pot. Pour the liquid mixture over them. Bring to a boil. Place a sheet of parchment paper directly on the beans then cover the pot. Reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers and beans cook slowly. Cook a minimum of 1 hour, a maximum of two hours. Occasionally lift the pot lid and the parchment off the beans (carefully) and stir ingredients. Add a bit more water if necessary to prevent burning.
At the end of the cooking time you will have a pot of silky tender beans coated with a thickened sauce. Serve cold or at room temperature with Greek yogurt or feta.