CSA Pickups -- Week 2 -- Radishes

Roots Farm CSA Week 2: September 13 & 16

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This Week:
-Tomatoes: Arkansas Traveller, Pink Beauty, Sunny Goliath, Whopper, Big Beef, Trust
-Eggplant: Nadia, Nubia, Pingtung Long
-Peppers: Carmen (sweet red bullhorn), Green Bells, Mellow Star, Habanero, Ahi Dulche
-Okra: Burgundy, Clemson Spineless, Burmese, Star of David
-Kale!: Winterbor, Red Russian
-Radishes: Easter Egg, French Breakfast
-Arugula
-Basil

On the Farm . . .
We’re planting up a storm. Beets and radishes and turnips and arugula went in already this week, and we just got another round of transplants--chard and head lettuce--that we’ll be installing in the next couple of days. Seeding, weeding, transplanting, oh my! Thankfully, we’ve got some sweet fall weather to do it in.

In Your Basket
It’s so exciting! Kale is back! I know some of you may be thinking, really? Already? But the answer is yes. Kale and more kale. It’s so tender this time of year; the stems just snap apart at the slightest pressure. Those young, delicate, Fall kale leaves are always so amazing to me, and delicious! Hope you enjoy them. So yeah, we’re picking kale again. See ya later summertime. And radishes are on the scene this week! Beautiful Easter Egg radishes (multi-colored) and delicate, pink & white bi-colored French Breakfast radishes are all coming in this week. We’ve also got some braising mix coming along and more arugula, as always. We also have some Fall plantings of summer squash, cucumbers, and pole beans that are looking lovely. The summer squash may even be available next week or so. Yippee!

Radishes
Raphanus sativus The descriptive Greek name of the genus Raphanus means "quickly appearing" and refers to the rapid germination of these plants. The common name "radish" is derived from Latin (Radix = root). Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. Citizens of Oaxaca, Mexico, celebrate the radish in a festival called Noche de los Rábanos (Night of the Radishes) on December 23 as a part of Christmas La Navidad celebrations. Locals carve religious and popular figures out of radishes and display them in the town square.

Storage: separate roots from greens and store separately in plastic bags. The greens should be used within 2-3 days, the roots within 2 weeks. Usage: radishes are good both raw and cooked. Radish greens are also edible; they have a spicy-peppery bite like mustard or turnip greens and generally need to be cooked. Radish roots are good raw in salads, on sandwiches, and in my favorite--spring rolls! You can also use radish roots in making kimchee if you like brewing your own ferments (I do!). Cooked, you can roast them, sautee them, deep fry them, and more; cooking mellows the spicy flavor. You can also substitute them for potatoes in some dishes. Don’t be afraid to apply heat to these pretty roots and don’t be afraid to experiment. Enjoy!

RECIPES
Radish & Cucumber Salad with Tofu
1/2 lb firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1/2 tsp sugar
fresh ground black pepper
8 radishes, thinly sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch slices
toasted sesame oil (optional)
toasted sesame seeds (optional)
grated fresh ginger (optional)

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the tofu cubes; boil for 1 minute. Transfer the cubes to a clean dish towel to drain and cool. Stir the rice vinegar, oil, and tamari or soy sauce in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and pepper to taste. Whisk until well combined. Transfer the cooled tofu cubes to a serving bowl. Add the radish slices and cucumber; briefly toss. Add the dressing; toss again until the salad is thoroughly combined. Makes 4 servings.

Tender cubes of cold, barely cooked tofu are a wonderful treat in this salad. They provide a satisfying, soft complement to the crispy vegetables--similar to cubes of mild cheese. As for taste, with nippy radish slices and a delicious salty-sweet dressing, this salad has flavor to spare. Try adding a few drops of toasted (dark) sesame oil or tossing in some toasted sesame seeds for a deeper, more "authentically Asian" note. Ginger fans will enjoy a grating of fresh ginger in the dressing. From Farmer John's Cookbook.

Confetti of Radishes and Carrots
3-5 radishes
4-6 carrots
8 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Shred radishes and carrots (with a grater or food processor). Toss with remaining ingredients. Chill & serve. Makes 8 servings. From the From Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook.

Beet & Daikon Slaw
1 yellow beet, peeled and cut into matchsticks (julienne)
1 red beet, peeled and cut into matchsticks (julienne)
1 6-inch daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks (julienne)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp unsalted rice vinegar
1 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl, cover, and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Season to taste and serve. Makes 2 servings. From the From Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook.

Sauteed Radishes with Radish Greens and/or Arugula
1/4 c. butter
1 lb radishes
4 c. radish greens or arugula
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (1 small lemon)
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Radish greens and arugula both have a peppery bitterness that mellows slightly when they are cooked. You can use either radish greens or arugula, or both, for this recipe.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the radishes; cook, stirring constantly, until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cook. Return skillet to stove. Put the green or arugula in the skillet with the wash water still clinging to the leaves. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until wilting, 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Add lemon juice and radishes to the skillet; stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Radish Top Soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, sliced
4 cups raw radish greens
4 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
5 radishes, sliced

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and saute until tender. Mix in the potatoes and radish greens, coating them with the butter. Pour in vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Mix in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until well blended. Serve with radish slices. Makes 6 servings. From www.allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/radish-top-soup/detail.aspx).

Roasted Radishes with Soy Sauce and Toasted Sesame Seeds
20 medium radishes, trimmed and cut into fourths (use all red, or a mixture of red and white)
1 1/2 Tbsp roasted peanut oil
1-2 Tbsp soy sauce (I used about 1 1/2 T)
2 green onions (scallions) sliced thin
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan

Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash radishes, trim ends, peel if needed, and cut into same size pieces. I cut the white icicle radishes into diagonal pieces, and the red ones into half or fourths, depending on how big they were. Cut green onions into thin slices. Toss radishes with peanut oil, then roast about 20 minutes, stirring one or two times. When radishes are tender and starting to brown, remove from oven, toss with soy sauce to coat and mix in green onion slices. Put back in oven and roast about 5 minutes more. During final five minutes roasting time, put the sesame seed in a dry pan and toast over hot stove for about 2 minutes, or until starting to brown. Remove radishes from oven, place in serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot. Makes 3-4 servings, recipe only slightly adapted from Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop.

CSA Pickups -- Week 1 -- Arugula

Roots Farm CSA Week 1: September 6 & 9

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This Week:
-Tomatoes!: Arkansas Traveller, Pink Beauty, Sunny Goliath, Whopper, Big Beef, Trust
-Eggplant!: Nadia, Nubia, Pingtung Long
-Peppers: Carmen (sweet red bullhorn), Red Bells, Golden Bells, Mellow Star, Habanero, Ahi Dulche
-Red Noodle Beans or Pontiac Red Potatoes
-Okra: Burgundy, Clemson Spineless, Burmese, Star of David
-Arugula
-Basil

Welcome to the First Week of Fall CSA!
And welcome to the official Roots Farm newsletter and blog! Each week, we’ll tell you what’s been happening around the farm, let you know about events, and feature a veggie of the week with recipes to feed your culinary imagination. All of it right here! Yay! Reminders: pickups are from 4-7pm Tuesdays or Fridays. If you’re going to miss your pickup, we need to know IN ADVANCE. Please. If you miss pickups, your share tends to get re-absorbed into the farm and is generally not just sitting patiently in the cooler, waiting for you to remember it. Help us get you your veggies. Given advance notice, we can usually find a way to meet your needs. And hey, if you’ve got an iPhone, just set your alarm to go off and remind you each week to come and get ‘em. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, beans, basil, and arugula, oh my!

On the Farm . . .
We’ve officially shifted gears and we’re moving quickly into our Fall tasks here on the farm. We’re seeding things like lettuce, braising mix, radishes, turnips, arugula, carrots, and beets. We’ll soon be transplanting chard and head lettuce. The broccoli and kale and cabbage is growing strong and we’ll be able to pick our first fall kale within a week! Now we’re doing much bed preparation, seeding, transplanting, and weeding. The cycle begins again. At the same time, we’re still picking our summer veggies, taking out old trellises, and preparing to dig sweet potatoes. Lots to do on the farm in early Fall. And at least today, there was some really good weather to do it in.

Weekend Workday . . .
Is taking the month off. Check back in with us in October.

Arugula
Our veggie of the week is arugula! Yay! Arugula is a tender, leafy vegetable often used raw in salads. It’s got a spicy-peanutty sort of flavor that intensifies in the heat of summer and as the leaves mature. The spice can be tamed with a little cooking, and arugula teams well with other veggies in a saute, on pizza, and in a braising mix. Arugula tends to be a love it or hate it kind of food, and I have to admit that I used to be in the hate-it group, but I’m here to tell you that, given the right conditions, it can be downright delicious! I like tender, young arugula in a salad with other lettuces, or even in a salad of its own with some balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. If you don’t like it yet, don’t give up hope. There may be an arugula manifestation out there that suits your fancy. Storage: in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.

RECIPES
Arugula & Pear Salad
Salad:
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
2 firm red Bartlett pears
5 c. butterhead lettuce (Bibb or Boston) washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
4 c. arugula, trimmed, washed and dried
Dressing:
2 Tbsp minced onion
3 Tbsp vegetable broth
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt & fresh ground pepper

To prepare salad, toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Just before serving, cut pears into 16 slices each. Place in a large bowl. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and spoon 1 tablespoon of the dressing onto the pears and toss to coat. Add lettuce, arugula and the remaining dressing; toss well. Top with walnuts. Makes 8 servings. (from the Seasonal Chef website)

Roasted Sweet Potato and Rocket Salad
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 clove garlic
1 shallot
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®)
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup walnut oil
1/2 pound baby arugula leaves
1 (2 inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Whisk the 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; toss the sweet potato wedges with the olive oil to coat. Place the bell pepper halves with their cut-sides down onto a baking sheet; arrange the sweet potato wedges around the peppers. Roast in the preheated oven until the potatoes are slightly charred and crispy and the the bell pepper skin is blistered, about 45 minutes. Shake the pan once mid-way through the cooking time to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan. Set the potato wedges aside to cool. Place the pepper halves into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; allow to sweat until cool, about 20 minutes. Peel the skin from the peppers and discard. Mince the garlic and shallot together in a food processor. Add the peeled peppers, lemon juice, mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper; puree until smooth. Slowly stream the 1/2 cup olive oil and the walnut oil into the mixture as it blends. Transfer to a large bowl; add the arugula leaves and toss to coat. Divide the potato wedges between 4 salad plates; top the wedges with equal amounts of the dressed arugula leaves. Shave the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the salads to serve. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings. From allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-sweet-potato-and-rocket-salad/detail.aspx.

Spinach Fettuccine with Arugula and Tomatoes
1 lb spinach fettuccine
salt
4 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra virgin to finish
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 small dried red chiles, broken in half, or several pinches of red pepper flakes
6 or more cups mature arugula leaves, large stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
4 Roma tomatoes
3 Tbsp chopped parsely
freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese

Drop the pasta into plenty of salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and chile, and cook over medium heat until the garlic turns light gold. Add the arugula, season with a few pinches of salt, and saute until wilted. Stir in the tomatoes and parsley and turn off the heat. When the pasta is done, scoop it out and add it directly to the pan. Toss well and serve with a dusting of cheese and extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top. Makes 4-6 servings. From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Note: as they mature, arugula leaves get large, hot and spicy. They’re too robust for salads, but when cooked, their pungency softens, leaving just enough to add zest to the pasta. Enjoy!

Arugula Pesto
4-5 Cups packed arugula
3 med-large cloves of garlic
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil

In a food processor, grind garlic and walnuts into a fine paste. Add arugula and pulse to chop finely. Add salt and nutritional yeast. Blend well. With processor running, add 1/4 cup olive oil. Transfer mixture to plastic or glass container and press to remove air bubbles. Cover with 2 Tbs olive oil and refrigerate.

This is a raw vegan recipe. The nutritional yeast can be substituted with romano or parmesan cheese and you can toast the walnuts before adding, if desired. You could also make this with pine nuts. This is a very flexible recipe that can be tailored to what you have on hand. This is a thick "stock" pesto. If using with pasta, bruschetta, veggies, gnocchi, or whatever you desire, add a bit more olive oil and/or some (pasta) water to thin and coat the pasta, etc. (Thanks Jen!)

Arugula and Red Pepper Pesto
1/2 lb. arugula
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 roasted red peppers
1 cup toasted piñon nuts (or other nuts will do)
1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup olive oil

Blend everything together in a food processor, stopping to scrape sides and processing again. We like the pesto rich, salty and oily. A few cloves of sweet roasted garlic are a nice addition. As a note: older arugula can be bitter, so this pesto can be cut with fresh spinach for milder flavor is your arugula is mature. Serving suggestions: spread on pizza crust, and top with cheese & veggies; toss with hot pasta (ziti is a particularly good vehicle); add to sour cream for a dip. You can also freeze the pesto in greased ice cube trays for easy-access portions. Recipe compliments of the Seasonal Chef (www.seasonalchef.com).

CSA Pickups -- Week 18 -- Long Beans

Roots Farm CSA Week 18: August 30 & September 2

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This Week:
-Tomatoes!: Arkansas Traveller, Pink Beauty, Sunny Goliath, Whopper, Big Beef, Trust
-Eggplant!: Nadia, Nubia, Pingtung Long
-Peppers: Carmen (sweet red bullhorn), Red Bells, Golden Bells, Mellow Star, Habanero, Ahi Dulche
-Beans: Red Noodle, mix of Potomac, Rattlesnake, & Gold of Bacau
-Okra: Burgundy, Clemson Spineless, Burmese, Star of David
-Green Tomatoes
-Garlic
-Arugula
-Rosemary

Last Week of Summer CSA Pickups!
This is it, folks! Can you believe it? Already, 18 weeks have come and gone and here we are at the end of our Summer CSA season. It’s been a good, long haul of kale, cucumbers, and long beans. Corn was a little slim this year as was the summer squash, but the carrots and beets were spectacular. Kale performed really well and the okra and beans have kept up the pace. Strawberries were magnificent, blueberries a bit more scarce than we like, melons abundant. Tomatoes took their sweet time, but are here now when most other farmers don’t have them anymore. All in all, it’s been a fairly even year--some things do well, some things don’t, and that’s farming for you. Thanks for taking the journey with us!

September CSA, or . . .
We’re still accepting members for our September CSA. If you’re NOT returning with us, please come on by and see us at the Saturday Morning Athens Farmers Market at Bishop Park or check our our listings with the online farmers market Athens Locally Grown. And we’ll have offerings for October and November CSA’s as well. October should bring us lettuces, radishes, kale, sweet potatoes, and more! November will probably bring broccoli, cauliflower, more lettuces, kale, chard, and more! We may be trying out some of our new ideas on how to structure the CSA, so I expect it to be a fun Fall of experimentation. We’ll keep you posted on what’s up.

Thanks, Folks!
We appreciate those of you who took the time to fill out our survey and there’s still time if you didn’t yet and you’d like to. We’re taking your requests into consideration and we may be test-running some new ideas this Fall to see if they work. All in all, it seems like most of you were fairly satisfied. The largest request was for more choice in what your share includes from week to week. We may be able to adapt a new system of distribution that would make that possible for you. We’ll keep you posted on what we decide. Thanks again for the feedback, and if you’ve got anything else you’d like for us to consider, please email us at RootsFarm@hotmail.com and we’ll see what we can do. Production-wise: some things are easy--grow more melons and less eggplant--other things are more difficult--corn takes up a lot of space and strawberries don’t really produce for us past early May--some are middle ground that we can tweak--earlier tomatoes, summer squash supply, winter squash. We’ll continue our efforts. Distribution-wise: we’re working hard to see if we can give you more options and greater convenience. Let us know what you want and we’ll see what we can do. In deep gratitude--Roots Farmers.

In your Basket
We’re including some green tomatoes this week. Green tomatoes can be used in place of eggplant in some recipes, or you can half-and-half it with eggplant to save on oil since eggplant can soak up a lot of that when you saute it. Green tomatoes can also be fried, of course, as well as added to stir-fries, stews, soups, grill skewers, sandwiches, and more. They’re a little tangy and juicy. I’m envisioning them with some citrus . . . They also make an excellent sweet chutney with cinnamon. Have fun experimenting.

Yard-Long Beans
Botanically speaking, Yard-Long Beans are Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis, related to cowpeas, crowder peas, and black-eyed peas. These beans are different than Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, green bean, and common pole bean. Same family--Fabaceae--different genus: Vigna or Phaseolus. Though yardlong beans taste similar to green beans, their texture is distinct. Unlike green beans, which can taste palatable steamed or boiled, yardlong beans become waterlogged and bland when treated with water. The beans are best cooked with oil: sauteed, stir-fried, or deep-fried, their flavor intensifies and their texture remains tight and juicy. As such, these beans aren't exactly the diet vegetable of the summer, but they are extremely good to eat and their texture makes them worth seeking out. The classic Chinese dish of dry-fried greens beans is superb with yard-long beans, which soak up a bit of oil during the initial frying period. The technique of initially deep-frying the beans, followed by a stir-fry with stock and aromatics, makes the texture inordinately juicy, tender, and bursting with green bean flavor. An Indonesian staple, green beans with coconut milk, is also well suited to yard-long beans. Because the beans are first stir-fried in oil and then simmered in coconut milk, every bite of the bean bursts with the sweetness of the coconut base. I like to pair the green beans with kabocha squash, since the meaty texture of the squash also holds up well to the simmering liquid. Give these beans a try. Because they're so lengthy, there's very little picking or fussing to do per strand of bean: washed and cut in a minute, they're ready to be cooked. Be aware that the long strands will be limp and slightly wrinkled even when they're fresh.

Thanks to http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/07/seriously-asian-the-yardlong-bean.html for much of this information and expertise.

RECIPES

Long Beans

1 pound long green beans
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons peanut oil
sesame seeds -- for garnish
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 red bell pepper -- small diced

Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until cool. Pat dry. In a wok or skillet heat the peanut oil on med heat. Add the garlic, and stir quickly until it softens and takes on some color. It can burn quickly so be careful with the heat. Add the blanched beans. Add everything else and stir fry for a couple more minutes. Mound beans in the center of a platter and drizzle any remaining sauce over the top, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. From http://www.grouprecipes.com/100386/long-beans.html.

Yard-Long Beans with Kabocha and Coconut Milk
1 pound yard-long beans, cut into 2-inch slices
1/4 pound kabocha, cubed into 1/2 inch segments
1 tablespoon curry powder, optional
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons cooking oil or lard
1-inch piece galangal or ginger, crushed and sliced
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil and add the spices and ginger and saute lightly until fragrant. Add the kabocha squash and saute for 2 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 2 minutes, until the beans are lightly browned. Add the coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) to the pot and let the liquid simmer for 20 minutes, until the beans and squash are tender but not mushy. Serve warm. From http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/yard-long-beans-with-kabocha-and-coconut-milk.html

Sichuan Style Stir-Fried Chinese Long Beans Recipe
1/2 pound Chinese long beans
1 tablespoon peanut oil (sesame or vegetable can suffice)
4-6 dried chilies, preferably Sichuanese, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoons sesame oil
Splash of soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce for gluten-free option)

Add a tablespoon of peanut oil to a wok or a large sauté pan over medium heat and swirl until hot. Add chilies and peppers and stir-fry briefly until fragrant. Add the long beans and stir-fry vigorously for 3-4 minutes (you don't want the spices to burn, if they start to then turn down the heat a bit). Season with salt and sugar and stir-fry a few seconds more to mix it all together. Remove from heat. Stir in the sesame oil and soy sauce. Serve immediately. Makes 3-4 servings. From http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sichuan_style_stir-fried_chinese_long_beans/.

Sichuan Dry-Fried Yard-Long Beans
1/4 cup stock, meat or vegetable
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil or lard
1 pound yard-long beans, cut into 2-inch segments
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
3 dried red chilies, lightly crushed
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed in a mortar and pestle
1 tablespoon Chiangking vinegar
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion

In a large wok heat the oil and add beans. Saute until lightly browned. Remove from wok. Add the garlic, ginger, chilies, and peppercorns to the wok and stir-fry rapidly. Stir-fry for 40 seconds or so. Reintroduce the beans to the wok and mix with the other ingredients. Add the stock, salt, and sugar to the wok and simmer for 40 seconds 1 minute, or until the liquid has evaporated. Add the vinegar and the green onions and stir around. Serve immediately with noodles or rice. From
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/sichuan-dry-fried-yard-long-beans.html.

Szechuan Long Beans
1 lb long beans
¼ cup char choy* (shredded)
¼ cup mushrooms (shredded)
1 red chilli (thinly sliced)
oil for frying
Seasoning :
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Dash of salt
*Char Choy ¨C Vegetable soaked in salt water and chilli. Available in Asian markets.

Clean long beans, cut into 6 to 8 inches long. Drain thoroughly. Deep-fry long beans under high heat till
dried and flat. Dish out. Add a little oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add char choy, mushrooms and chillies cook till fragrant. Add the fried long beans and mix well. Taste and adjust with seasoning. Dish up and serve. Makes 6 servings. From http://www.asianfood-recipes.com/Asian_Vegetarian/Szechuan_Long_Beans.php.