I mentioned to my friend Connie that the local grocery was having a canned goods sale, that I planned to stop after our lunch to stock up on green beans for my Thanksgiving casserole. “Do you want to go with me?”
“I hate green beans!” she said, much louder than the situation warranted. She arched her back a bit, adding extra emphasis. “I always have!”
“Always?” I repeated.
Later I thought, “What’s to hate?” Green beans can be baked, sauteed or grilled, eaten with or without butter, with or without sauce. On special occasions, I like them baked in a casserole with onions on top. They seem willing enough to please, with their way of turning a brighter green as they cook. Some people even snap them in half and eat them raw.
I then remembered that at two different potlucks Connie had complimented me on my canned green bean casserole with onions on top.
Perhaps it is the preparation of the canned green beans that is a problem for Connie, I thought. Three steps required—opening, draining and rinsing–before any cooking can take place. That must be it–the preparation is the problem, not the bean itself.
Tonight I will make two casseroles—one for tomorrow’s potluck—and a special one for Connie, in my quest to erase the association of green beans and hate.
If only it could always be that simple.
Cheryl Writing 