YARD-LONG BEANS // the local food report

My friend Victoria is always growing unusual veggies. She's into okra and fish peppers and round zucchinis and for melons, emerald gems. So when she told me she had some beans I had to see, I headed right over to meet her. She had a measuring tape and a pile of very long skinny beans in emerald green and ruby red, and the first one we pulled out measured nineteen inches. Nineteen!

The varieties are called Orient Wonder and Red Noodle, and as a category they're called yard-long beans. They're popular in Asia, where they're cooked in stir fries or deep fried. You don't want to boil  or steam them, because they're starchier than regular green beans, and cooking them in water makes them lose their snappy texture. Vic likes them not just because they're gorgeous and unusual, but also for this difference—she says she often finds traditional pole beans woody and big, and since these stay pencil thin, they don't have that problem. 

The best way I've found to eat them is fried up with garlic and chili flakes and peanuts. The beans get crispy, the flavors come together with a satisfying, lingering heat, and they're excellent alongside a piece of pan-fried fish or chicken. I didn't make any changes, so rather than reinvent the wheel, I'm going to send you over here, where I found the recipe. Happy frying!