I’m not crazy. I just need someone to talk to. So occasionally I see someone who gives me two things. A prescription pad filled out for happy pills and some advice.
“Find balance,” he says. “Meditate. Don’t go overboard.”
I actually find cooking to be a form of meditation. I have to be careful in the kitchen. I’m married to a charming person who is also a recipe tester and food critic. I can’t stand criticism, but I’m working on that. So in the kitchen, I have to concentrate and that means I stop thinking about all the other things I have to do and all the things I would like to do to certain people. Oops, time for happy pill.
The “balance” part is something I work on, too. As in this blog. I know that the blog is tilted towards cocktails and desserts. That’s because when I retire I am opening up a B&B&B: brownie and booze bar. In the meantime, I will strive for more “other” things on the blog.
Growing up in Oregon, in the Willamette Valley with its bounty, eating vegetables meant opening up a can. I think that experience may have triggered the need for happy pills. So that you can avoid a similar fate, here is wonderful way to combine fresh garlic and just picked green beans into a side dish of substance. There is plenty of flavor here. Paired with a great steak or barbecued chicken, you have the perfect match for your next weekend, or weekday, feast.
Roasted Garlic Green Beans
Servings: 6
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 head of garlic
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Put the garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water in an oven-proof baking dish, covered. Cook until the cloves are soft and will easily slide out of the peeling.
Toss the green beans with the olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet pan. Roast until browned and almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle beans with the garlic cloves, salt, and pepper, toss to combine. Continue roasting beans, 2 to 5 minutes until tender.
Source: epicurious.com