Back in November I wrote a post about the final week of the local farmer’s market: about the gift of free broccoli from my favorite stand, the last green beans of the season, the hand-lettered cardboard sign that said “SUPER TENDER.” You would have kissed your rutabagas and wiped away tears after reading that entry…had I remembered to post it. Oh well.

I’m swamped with a personal project this winter, but I wanted to revive this photo to share the recipe for Chinese Restaurant Style Green Beans, from Fine Cooking magazine’s food blog, The Kitchen Sink. The butter browns and adds rich flavor to the beans while the honey thickens into a sweet goo. Think garlic attack, but in a good way. Think sticky chicken wings rich with honey and soy sauce, but with green beans. The chewy, sweet, and salty aspects of this dish satisfy me on their own, but if you insist on other food with your veggies, this would go well with anything from Chinese food to a nice steak and potato.

Sticky Green Beans

Adapted from here

Ingredients:
· 1 pound green beans, trimmed
· pinch Kosher or sea salt
· 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
· 1 Tablespoon butter
· 1 Tablespoon honey
· 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
· 1 Tablespoon hot water
· 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1) Melt butter with oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add green beans and a pinch of salt, stir thoroughly to coat. Stir the beans occasionally. Cook until brown and shriveled, about 8 minutes.

2) As the beans cook, mix together the honey, soy sauce, and hot water in a small bowl or cup until honey is dissolved and liquids are well mixed. (Alternatively, you could combine the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat them until warm, stirring to mix.)

3) Reduce heat to low and add the garlic. Cook until another 20 seconds or so until the garlic is fragrant and soft, stirring constantly. Add the soy sauce mixture. Keeping stirring and cooking until most of the water evaporates and the beans are coated with a thick glaze. Remove from heat.

4) Add salt to taste and serve warm. Excellent reheated.