Do you have gorgeous summer beans that need to be used? Do you like a lot of heat? Then you’re going to love this recipe. We really love it – not only for the flavor – but because it features Jedd’s first homegrown chili peppers.
For years we’ve wanted an apartment filled with plants, but because it was so dark we could keep very few plants going.
Things have changed with the move though. Hello, cayenne pepper plant!
It’s so exciting to have a plant yield fruit. However, it didn’t grow in a vacuum. Jedd has nurtured this plant for months. Gently carrying it from room to room, from window to window, checking the weather forecast nonstop, to make sure that the wind wasn’t going to pick up. He was nervous that a harsh stormy wind could bend the cayenne plant’s limbs when he left the apartment windows open. (No joke.)
Needless to say we wanted to do something special with the first peppers.
We had some gorgeous yellow beans from our CSA, so I decided to make a spicy Szechuan dish. And I’m happy to say that they’re fantastic. They’re a little sweet and a lot spicy. You may want to tone down the heat if you’re “hot averse.” But if you like spice, kick back with a cold beer and enjoy.
Szechuan Yellow Bean Slammers
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
1 lb. yellow beans
1 red chili pepper, diced
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons spicy sesame oil
Scallions, for garnish
Instructions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. And assemble the ice water bath.
Wash and trim the beans.
Drop the beans in the boiling water and cook for 1 minute.
Using a slotted spoon, drop the beans in the ice water.
Drain the beans once they’ve cooled, about 2 minutes.
Combine the tamari, brown sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl. Pour the sauce into a medium frying pan, and heat over low heat until hot.
Add the beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Serve immediately, and garnish with scallions.
(Photos by Launie Kettler)