Snap Beans, String Beans or just plain old Green beans… they’re all the same when it come to White Trash Cooking. My grandma called them Snap Beans. I guess ’cause the green beans make a little snap when you take off the ends or break the green bean in half.

I don’t know why I feel I need to apologize for saying White Trash Cooking… but I sometimes get a little stuck in the “politically correct” mumbo jumbo. White Trash Cooking simply means the ability to make simple, cheap food taste great! All veggies have a little salt pork or bacon… Corn meal is a main staple… and Molasses… is used for the sweet tooth. Oh… and don’t forget the buttermilk and pot liquor.

My kin come from the South… Georgia as a matter of fact… where Soul Food and White Trash Cooking abound… and fresh green beans are a main staple in the family garden.

All ya need for this White Trash Green Bean recipe is: about 3 to 4 lbs of green beans…about 7 new red potatoes…a little bacon… about 5 stripes (cut) and salt. Simple recipe.

If you are cookin’ for a crowd… you can cook as many beans as you want too… just add enough potatoes to feed the gang… add more bacon and salt… and there ya go.

Simply wash the beans well. Snap off the ends and snap the string bean in half. That’s if the green bean is too long. Clean up the new potatoes and cut them into good bite size pieces.

Put it all in the pot together. And yes… the bacon is placed on top raw.. don’t precook. Fill your pot until it just about covers the green beans. Add your salt to taste.

Bring it all to a good boil and turn down the heat. Simmer for about 15 to 20 min… test a bean to see if it’s done. Ya may need to cook them a bit longer… but ya don’t want to over-cook these puppies so watch the timing. I find the potatoes cook at the same rate as the beans… so test one of them also. The beans will change color from a bright green to a sage green.

Now… here’s a little secret. I like to cook my beans a few hours ahead of the crowd and let them sit a bit. The snap beans and new potatoes drink up that wonderful bacon flavor… Mmmmm good!

My grandma called the liquid or juice, “Pot Liquor” and she would drink it. Good way to get the vitamins!

Enjoy!

Till Later

Kathy Griffiths

Insightful Nana

P.S. I will be sharing more white trash recipes with ya’ll. If you’re a White Trash cook… let me know!

P.P.S. Drop in your information below and you’ll be on my newslettter mailing list. You won’t have to add your name again… from now on… you’ll be on my newsletter list I will send you a printable version of all future recipes. For Free! You’ll get other goodies too. Grab yourself a little 5X7 photo album and slide the recipes in it for an Insightful Nana cookbook.

Get your White Trash Cookbooks by simply clicking on the icons below. Great reviews too.