Dilly Beans and a moment for gratitude

dill flower

There is something about putting up a batch of summer's green beans, watching the beautiful floating herbs marinating the beans. Later in the year, when the days are shorter, it feels exciting and nostalgic to pick out a jar to share. Peering in at the amber liquid and floating beans and spices, we may as well be munching on time suspended, summer preserved. It calls up memories of a beautiful, perfect season together. Which this is. It makes me grateful for the passing of time and the gift of that time.  How lucky and blessed we are.

Also, Bill absolutely adores Dilly Beans and makes a big deal about opening a jar. It brings me immense joy to see him happily snacking on them next to me. 

Spicy Summer Green Beans

After posting this recipe, I've received a couple requests for more veggie recipes. I hear that. I love my ice cream maker a little too much, perhaps. And cookies. Definitely love the cookies. A lot. But I go to a couple different farmers' markets each week and could definitely be sharing more of the summer's market-recipe bounty.

This Spicy Green Bean recipe is a big go-to dish in our house. We make it a couple times a week and eat it with just about everything. You may be a bit more choosy in your flavor-partnering, but we mix up all sorts of flavors, from all parts of the world. The spices used here are Indian-inspired. If you don't have these spices on hand, they stock them at Indian grocers, as well as at well-stocked grocery stores (or try this place online -- a great herb and spice shop). Feel free to eliminate the fenugreek if you don't have it (but I do recommend giving it a try -- it has a distinctive fragrance and flavor). You can change up the flavor a bit and add other things, like curry powder or chopped fresh basil at the end, or make it more or less spicy.