Dilly Green Beans with Wasabi

Green beans are a favorite vegetable of mine.  I love them prepared any which way, except in cream of mushroom soup. Not my thing. 

My Haricot Verts, planted back in May are still producing their little hearts out!  I picked a fairly great harvest this week and decided to can up some Dilly Beans, but with the twist of adding Wasabi powder to my brine.  This recipe goes together rather quickly and I love the fact it only makes 4 pints...I did 2 batches! 

I used crushed garlic versus minced or sliced and wasn't as happy with the cloudiness of the brine, but since I'm not gifting any of these babies, it doesn't matter to me!
I'm hoping for a great kick from the Wasabi Powder!  I did 2 batches, 4 jars with dill and left the dill out on the other 4 jars and did wasabi powder, about a teaspoon per jar.

It was a great week to set up the hot water bath canner on my outdoor grill burner.  I love not making a mess in my kitchen!  In fact, I made these after work, so you know how quickly they are to construct!

DILLY GREEN BEANS
2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
4 cloves garlic, peeled
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
 
Cut green beans to fit inside pint canning jars. 

Place green beans in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, for 3 minutes. Plunge beans into ice water. Drain well.
Pack the beans into four hot, sterilized pint jars. Place 1 clove garlic and 2 sprigs dill weed in each jar, against the glass. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to each jar.
In a large saucepan over high heat, bring vinegar and water to a boil. Pour over beans.
Fit the jars with lids and rings and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.




I like to let mine rest about 2 weeks before opening!  I love them in Bloody Marys, or chopped into potato salad.

We are savoring the remains of the summer.... 

Chateaux at Amboise

What an amazing structure the Chateaux was! Located on the Loire River, it was a grand sight! This was the first time visiting a castle for me and what an adventure. It was easy to imagine a princess standing on a balcony overlooking the river! The church holds the supposed remains of Leonardo da Vinci, apparently he was quite involved in Amboise and lived in another chateaux nearby. The formal gardens were spectacular, as was simple things like decorative floor tiles and ironwork on the doors! We really enjoyed our morning here...think I could get away with formal gardens in Macon? Maybe just a formal kitchen garden? I'm working up the plans as we speak!

Our train back to Paris was delayed a bit, so supper was a challenge...until Jamie and I went to the grocery!

We picked up the freshest eggs, haricot verts, lardons (almost like chopped bacon), Poilane bread and potatoes. We had some cheese, butter and herbs. Viola! 15 minutes and one of the best meals! A bottle of Chenin Blanc from Amboise (AOC Touraine) and we were settled in for the night! It was a beautiful day full of history, warm sunshine, great food and french culture!