"Farmer Boy Recipes"

This has much less to do with Laura's "Sweet Memories", but more to do with me - I'm hoping that some of my "Outside-of-the-shop" interests will hit home with you as well.

This, I hope, will be the first of what I'm going to call, "Farmer Boy Recipes".  I hope to post these from time to time and hope you'll give me some feedback each time.  They are "Farmer Boy" only in the sense that Almanzo, Laura's husband, inspired me to keep a legacy of raising farm-fresh vegetables.  So, I guess I'm considering myself to be his protege, so to speak. :)  Any way, living in a rural community affords the blessings of having farm-fresh items close at hand.  My meager veggie garden supplies me some of the ingredients for these recipes; others come from nearby farms.  I have one farm that grows organic veggies and another that has "Grass Finished" meats.  They both have organic eggs too!

This recipe I call, "Farmer Boy Green Bean Stir-Fry".  It is a very simple, country type recipe; one that even a novice stew chef could tackle!  But, remember Laura said we should appreciate those sweet, simple things in life that make it all worthwhile.  And anything with bacon fat can't be all bad!

Igredients: *

• 2 cups fresh green beans
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped sweet onion
• 1/4 cup cubed, cooked ham
• 1 - 2 Tablespoons bacon drippings

Directions: Heat the bacon drippings in a small saucepan over low heat. Drop in the onions and ham, cover, stir occasionally while simmering for 3 - 4 minutes. (The onions should just begin to turn transluesent.)  Wash the green beans (they can be cut into smaller pieces if you wish), add them to the pan.  Cover, cook and stir on medium heat till the beans are a nice deep green and just softer than "snap stage". (about 5 minutes)
Serve: Plate this over rice or noodles. (I usually just eat it all by itself!)

*Please note: This is "My serving size", if you are cooking for more than one, you'll have to adjust this for the number.
You may find something similar to this recipe in some of Laura's collections or in other cookbooks, but I just threw this one together myself.  Hope you like it!  It's pretty much, "Green Beans 101".  You may wish to improve upon it or change it to make it your own - go for it!

"No one can become great who is not ready to take the opportunity when it comes."
Laura Ingalls Wilder