We’re having a weird weather year in the garden. I still had rhubarb after other people reported that theirs bolted. Despite being eaten by the stupid groundhogs, my peas are flourishing right now; it seems late in the season for that. Friends of mine have posted about their gluts of cucumbers and zucchini. My vines are growing and flowering, but that’s about it. One thing that we have almost enough of is green beans. It’s a good thing we like them, but we get bored of the usual ways to make them.
Over the weekend, we road-tripped with some friends. We like to play tourist in our own state. Last time we did this, we ended up in New Glarus at the brewery. Not one to shirk at tradition, we decided to follow that trip up with a visit to another brewery, a winery, a church, and a flea market just pausing long enough to dip our feet into the Mississippi River. For dinner we stopped at another brewery/brew pub and had fried green beans as an appetizer. They were delicious, but not something I really feel like making at home.
As usual, I consulted the recipe files. I would like you to imagine me wearing a deerstalkers hat and smoking a pipe as I rummage through card catalogs full of files saying important things like “hmmmm” and “I see” as I dig. The reality of it is much less romantic. It’s me sitting on the couch with my computer open searching for key words in my picture files like “green beans”. It was pretty handy that I labeled all of the recipes when I scanned them in.
As usual, great-grandma delivered.
I found this rather unusual, but fairly delicious recipe simply named “Green Beans.” It’s not sexy looking and the sauce is rather thick, but it’s an interesting new-to-me take on green beans. I decided to refer to it as “paprikash” because the ingredients for the sauce are what you would use if making chicken paprikash.
Do you remember that scene in “When Harry Met Sally”? Nope, not that one. Although that one is good, too.
The one to which I am referring is when Harry and Sally are in the museum and he decides they are going to talk funny for the rest of the day. I can’t hear the word “paprikash” without thinking about that scene. It makes me smile. (But how weird is it that we live in a world where that clip is so easily accessible?)
If you are using fresh beans, it may take a little longer than the 5 minutes specified in the recipe to get them cooked to however you like your green beans cooked. If you are using canned, it will take less. (Although why you would when it’s bean season, is beyond me, but everyone gets to make their own choices.) I suppose if you wanted to get fancy, you could bake these and put some buttered bread crumbs on the top. 
Other than complaining about not liking green beans (which they decided once they saw the rather garish clash of colors in this dish), this was a dish that we will make again.
The Recipe:
Green Beans
4 TB Butter
3/4 cup diced onion
1 TB Paprika
2 TB flour
1 cup Sour Cream
1/2 tsp. Salt
Cook onions in butter about 4-5 minutes. Add paprika and flour and stir to coat. Add sour cream and salt. Simmer another 4-5 minutes. Add green beans and cook 5 minutes longer.
If you are still looking for more green bean recipes, check out Deviled Green Beans, 4 Bean Salad, and Bean Salad.
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My mom used to lose her keys all the time when we were teenagers. It was a regular occurrence. I don’t remember when she started to pray to St. Anthony, but it became the default. Whenever something went missing, my mom would ask if we’d prayed to St. Anthony. (Except it was common enough that we just called it “talking to Tony”)(We aren’t even Catholic). More often than not, the answer would be “no”. To which she always reminded us that we should be doing that and perhaps we shouldn’t bother her until we had. This is not to imply in anyway that my mom was not sympathetic to whatever it was we had lost. She was, but she didn’t have time to keep track of all of our stuff on top of everything else she had to do. And besides, like I say to my kids all the time, “if you put your stuff away properly…” We all know how it goes and if you don’t, come be my Yoda and teach me how to improve. Anyway, back to my mom’s keys. She would seriously lose them all the time. It wasn’t because she wasn’t organized, but we know how women’s purses are. And when you are in and out of the car and it’s winter and kids and chaos and life. Even if I didn’t get it then, I do now. 
It was around that same time that my sister and I had the opportunity to go to Italy. I am still grateful for that opportunity. While there, we visited Padua. (St. Anthony is from Padua.) During the visit to the church dedicated to St. Anthony, (who is the patron saint of all sorts of 
My friend texted back later to say that she did find her keys. I tried telling her about St. Anthony. She said that Lutherans don’t do that. (I’m going to take credit for invoking the name of St. Anthony for her.) 
This recipe grabbed me from the first time I saw it. There is nothing in it that I don’t like. Rosemary, maple syrup, mustard, bacon, sour cream and lima beans. Yes, please! But that’s not a guarantee that the recipe is not going to fail. (See 
I have no idea what makes this coffeecake Syrian as opposed to any other nationality. I keep meaning to ask my colleague, but never have the recipe with me at work. I expect it’s got something to do with the cinnamon. Or perhaps is just called Syrian because someone thought it sounded fancy. 
I love this coffeecake. It’s cinnamony and nutty with a sort of firm crust underneath the cake. The pecans add such a beautiful crunch to it. It’s simple and basic, but completely wonderful.
