Most Americans buy green beans that are cut in 2-inch lengths from the frozen food section, or from a can. Many are even unfamiliar with wax beans, green beans yellow cousin. The beans found in supermarkets grow on low bushes, ripen all at once, and can be harvested mechanically. Most are from California or Mexico, so they’ve traveled across the continent to get to consumers in the east.

But in Italy, fresh beans are entirely different. True, Phaseolus vulgaris, Leguminosae are New World natives – but Italians have embraced them, as they have the New World tomato. In Italy, the unripe pods of the bean plant are one of summer’s most eagerly awaited gifts. There are so many varieties that botanists have stopped counting.

Most pole beans are flat, broad, sweet, velvety, stringless, tender and meatier than their bush-bean counterparts. Swinging and twirling on the vine, they look gorgeous – and their flavor is incomparable to anything you can get at the supermarket. These beans need a trellis to climb and grow long beans. They ripen slowly over a long period of time rather than all at once, so they’re great for home gardeners.

Because they’re favored by Italian gardeners and cooks, they’re sometimes called Italian beans. They’re also known as Romano, Roma, Rampicanti or Marconi. Indeed, Italian gardens grow lots of these prolific beans in colors from green to yellow, red and purple. They can be up to 10 inches in length, but younger is better, so stop at 5 inches if you grow your own. If you can’t eat them all fresh, freeze them, or let the pods mature and use the big, fat seeds instead. They’re available through September – from now until frost kills them. You probably won’t find them at the supermarket, but the farmers market should have some for you to try if you didn’t grow your own this year.

But make sure they’re fresh. Like corn, peas and tomatoes, beans are best harvested early and eaten right after they’re picked. The pods should not bulge or have brown marks. If they’re old, they’ll be rubbery rather than crunchy. That is why supermarket green beans, which have been shipped across continents to arrive in the produce aisle travel weary, shell-shocked and lifeless, are tough and need longer cooking.

They’ve also lost many of their valuable nutrients in transport. Beans are a good source of antioxidants, the minerals potassium, magnesium, iron and manganese as well as folate and vitamins A, C and K. They also contain antioxidants and fiber, and are a good diuretic. While one cup of green beans contains a scant 40 calories, it provides more than the daily requirement for vitamin K – 120 percent. Vitamin K is important for bone health because it activates osteocalcin, a protein which helps to anchor calcium molecules inside the bone. Once you’ve tasted beans straight from the vine and cooked properly, store-bought will never do.

To prepare, rinse to remove sand and grit, snap off ends, and cut in bite-size pieces. Cook them the way the Italians do: still hot from the colander, anointed with the best extra virgin olive oil and a little sea salt. If you like, season them with fresh herbs, garlic, or tomatoes. Simply served this way, they are a revelation to your taste buds.

There are so many theories on how best to cook fresh beans – but so much depends on your own preference. Many Americans like them crunchy, while most Italians prefer them soft – but not too soft. Cooking them just past the crunch point makes them slightly sweeter and intensifies their delicate flavor. Cook to desired tenderness – less if you like them a bit crunchy, a few extra minutes if you prefer them soft.

Add them to stir-fry, raw or lightly steamed to salads, or simmer lightly to serve as a side dish. They’re also great roasted. Roasting intensifies their flavor, and they may become your new favorite seasonal snack!

But the keys to delicious fresh beans are youth, freshness, and cooking them to just the right tenderness. Their grassy, buttery flavor will melt on your tongue with the glorious essence of summer even as we enter the first weeks of autumn.

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Romano beans with herbs and tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 lb. Romano beans (about 4 cups)

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme

4 or 5 fresh basil leaves

6 cherry tomatoes, or 1 or 2 larger tomatoes

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Directions:

Prepare beans by washing, snapping off the stem end and cutting on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet. On low heat, peel and mince the garlic. Cook about 2 minutes. Add the beans; sprinkle with salt and stir about a minute. Add the water, cover, and cook five minutes or until desired tenderness (add more liquid if needed). Chop the fresh herbs; sprinkle over the beans, and cook 1 minute. Slice or dice tomatoes (depending on size) and add. Cook 1 or 2 minutes to heat through. Serve hot. Serves 4 or fewer (depending on size of serving).

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Mom’ Buttery Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound beans

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon breadcrumbs (plain or Italian flavored)

Salt & pepper (1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt, depending on your taste, and a sprinkling of black pepper if you wish)

Optional: onion, garlic, and / or fresh thyme

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Directions:

Wash beans; remove stem ends; cut into desired lengths. Steam beans to desired tenderness.

While beans cook, melt butter in a skillet or shallow pot large enough to hold beans. Add the breadcrumbs and stir over medium low heat until nicely golden, one or two minutes.

Toss cooked, drained beans into the breadcrumbs, and stir to coat. Season with salt & pepper. Serve right away. Serves four.

Note: If using onion or garlic, cook onion or garlic two to five minutes in the butter before adding bread crumbs. Add fresh chopped thyme, if using, right before you add the breadcrumbs.

Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: cooking and writing.

She can be reached at www.wordsaremyworld.com.