Bean there, done that

Every morning that I set off to explore the farmers market is truly an adventure.

However, there have been some days when (gasp!) I am less than awed with the produce, finding myself velocitized by the whirlwind of seasonal eating.

Shame on me, right?

Well I'm proud to admit that today was no such day.

During my usual routine selecting squash, thyme, rocambole, blueberries, etc... I ran into these cute little guys. I admit to being superficially drawn to them initially, hey they've got one heck of a cute ride(What's cuter than pink pods?) I'm a sucker for packaging! But upon popping open these slender beauties I was surprised with an equally playful pod of yumminess.

Cranberry beans, or so they are called by the professionals, are perfect for soups, salads, dips, steaming or just eating out of the pod. At least that's what I thought as I happily sauntered away.

I hear they lose their cute pink specks upon cooking but their taste more than makes up for it and they freeze like troopers which means this girl will get her fill of fresh (kind of) cranberry beans year round.

Talk about having your pod and shelling it too!

(and yes, friends, I am taking these photos myself....sheesh, what's a girl to do to get some credit around here!)