Basic Pot of Pole Beans

Pole beans are exactly what they sound like - beans grown on a pole instead of on a bush. Longer and flatter than regular green beans, they make a great variation on this standard summer veggie. I admit I had a bit of trouble tracking them down - am wondering, perhaps, if they are more common down South? - but I did find some at the Greenmarket in Union Square. My friend also grows them in her own Brooklyn backyard! If you, too, can track down this delicious variety of bean, here's a simple way to prepare them.

For this recipe, you'll need a pound and a half of pole beans. Trim the edges as you would with regular green beans, and slice them in half since they're awfully long. Set aside

Spray a large Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add 3 slices vegan bacon (such as Smart Bacon: http://www.lightlife.com/product_detail.jsp?p=smartbacon) and cook about two minutes on each side until crisp. Remove and crumble; set aside.

Add one cup chopped onion to the pan, and cook 3 minutes. Then re-add the 'bacon' crumbles, 1/4 tsp. salt, a dash of black pepper, the pole beans, and 3 (14-oz) cans of vegetable broth. Bring it all to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes - the pole beans are tougher than the bush variety as well, so require a longer cooking time.

This recipe makes 8 one-cup servings of 70 calories.

Cost:
'bacon' $3.19
onion $0.77
broth $3.57
pole beans $9.00