A story about green beans.
I used to detest green beans. If there was anything in the world I hated most it was green beans - and they hated me too. When I was a kid my mom would slow cook cans of green beans seasoned with bacon all day for Thanksgiving dinner and beg me to eat just three. My gag reflex would go into overdrive. I would try anything I could - chew them and swallow FAST. Mask them with chocolate milk - from there I got the brilliant idea to chew up a bunch of food in my mouth and spit it all over myself - pretending that the green beans had made me throw up. Right there, all over myself, at the dinner table with the fine china. Because I'm such a sweet girl.
So every year after that I got green beans for Christmas. In my stocking and in oversized and weighted packages disguised as something else. Sometimes I laughed it off and other times it brought me to dramatic tears. Looking back - it was hilarious. The grown up me appreciates the annual prank.
In my teens I had the right to choose what to eat and being a vegetarian was a good excuse to not eat the bacon-seasoned green beans. And then, like meat, I never ate a green bean for years - out of habit more than anything. A few years ago at Friendsgiving I finally had a proper green bean casserole - and discovered anything tastes good when it's covered with MSG-laden cream of mushroom soup and onion crisps. It was my gateway to eating green beans elsewhere. I discovered I liked them best fresh - I was even delighted to see them at the farmer's market and picked a few up.
It's safe to say me and green beans have become fast friends.
Green Bean and Caramelized Onion Quiche
For the crust:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup whole wheat stone ground flour
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cold water
For the quiche:
4 eggs
1/2 - 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
2 tbs heavy cream
A bunch of fresh green beans (2 big handfuls)
1 chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic - minced
Salt
Pepper
Ingredients in green are local
Mix the crust ingredients in a medium/large bowl. Mix in the zest and slowly pour in the oil while mixing with a fork. From there you will slowly add the cold water while mixing with a fork. Once the mix is starting to stick together knead it 2-4 times. It will be a little flaky - that's ok.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about 13" - slowly place it in a tart pan. I used an 8" square dish. Set the pan with dough in it in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 20 minutes you'll want to preheat your oven to 375F. When the dough is ready poke it with a fork and place parchment paper on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and bake for another 5 minutes until crisp. Take out of oven and set on a cooling rack. You should try and let this cool for about 30 minutes but I'm incredibly impatient and let it cool for about 5 or 10 minutes. Keep your oven on but turn the heat down to 350F.
While the dough is being prepped you will want to rinse and snap off the ends of your green beans (where they've come off the stalk). Steam them for about 5 minutes - just enough to get them good and bright green. Rinse in cool water or an ice bath. Chop them in 1" pieces. Set aside.
Heat a small pan on high with a little oil. Throw in your onions and garlic - you want the pan to be hot enough that the onions brown and caramelize a little. When they're done turn off the heat and set those aside.
Now you will want to mix up your eggs, yogurt and cream in a small/medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to your liking to the mix. Add your caramelized onions and garlic to the egg mix and stir.
Now you're ready to assemble your quiche. Layer in the mozzarella directly on the crust. Next add the green beans. Then pour your egg mixture on top. Let this bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes (depending on how deep your pan is - it took mine 40).
Enjoy!
I also hated green beans as a kid... most vegetables, really, but green beans were my nemesis, according to family lore. I would often be threatened with having to eat them for breakfast if I didn't have them at the dinner table. The story that has been told and retold countless times through my life is that, because I didn't want to eat my green beans, I put them in my mouth and held them there for about 30 minutes or so, refusing to swallow. I'd like to think that I did indeed know that I would taste them for longer that way and I just wanted to make a statement, but I'm not sure that was the case...
Anyway, this looks delicious! I'll have to try it out. As it happens I love green beans now, though my dad refuses to acknowledge it. He likes being able to tell that story :)
OK, I just burst out laughing at the thought of a mini you fake puking to get out of green beans @ dinner! SO funny! I used to spit all my food into my napkin and then ask to be excused to go to the bathroom and flush the food. I got caught eventually but still I thought I was clever.
I love green beans my issue was with other items. This recipe sounds SO good. I'm on a heavier than ever veggie diet so I might have to try this out the eggs pick up my protein I need too! YUM!
It's ironic how I'm a vegetarian now too, and I hate green beans when I was little (and every other vegetable except corn). I actually just started liking... LOVING actually, green beans a few years ago. Steamed with a tiny bit of parm cheese is a meal in itself for me.
Oh good, you're already researching green bean recipes for when mine are ready to eat. This makes things much easier. :)
This is so funny.
I found your blog last week and Ive been browsing through your archives a bit. I just had to comment on this post. I too was a huge green bean hater as a kid. definitely a gag reflex food for me.
Since I became a vegetarian 5 years ago, I've warmed up to a lot of veggies (brussel sprouts & broccoli were some of my more hated enemies and now I eat them at least once a week) BUT I still have not warmed up to beans! I don't think I ever will... just seeing pictures of them, I want to fake throw up at my desk. Except it wouldnt really be fake... I don't know, maybe in another 5 years?
And a fun story about me as a kid and my lack of eating nasty things: We had to stay at the table if we(usually me) didnt finish our dinner while everyone else went to watch tv. I used to keep food in the back of my mouth and then throw it out in the bathroom (My parents claim i left it there while brushing my teeth but I'm pretty sure they are on crack because that's nasty) I did that mostly with roast beef though. My sister used to pile it all in one corner, unfold her napkin and put it on top.
Emily
tomorrowneverknowsfashion.wordpress.com
love the story and that recipe, as usual, looks really good!!
never met a veggie i didn't like but i definitely got bored of boiling or blanching green beans. lately i've been tossing them with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and baking them on a cookie sheet. it's a nice way to eat 'em!!
The green beans looked fabulous last week at the Edmond Farmer's Market - which one do you go to?
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