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"&lt;em&gt;By day, Carla Lalli Music edits food features for &lt;/em&gt;Bon App\u00E9tit&lt;em&gt;, but at home she shuns instructions. Here\u2019s how she feeds her friends and family while\u00A0&lt;strong&gt;Cooking Without Recipes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.\r\n\r\nIn the cooler months, I\u2019ll spend half of every Sunday in the kitchen, making big batches of soups and braises that we dip into throughout the week for family dinners. But when summer rolls around, &lt;strong&gt;I\u2019m all about barely cooked, produce-heavy meals&lt;/strong&gt; that come together quickly after a day spent outside.\r\n\r\nYou might not think that beans could fall into both categories, but I recently anchored a meal around fresh shelling beans from the farmers\u2019 market, and decided they\u2019re the best of both worlds. The hardest part of cooking them is the prep\u2014not that it\u2019s hard, but shelling beans just feels annoying. &lt;strong&gt;So I make my children do that part&lt;/strong&gt;. With that out of the way, they cook in about 25 minutes, and almost all of that is hands-off.\r\n\r\nLate summer is high season for shelling beans, so look for them now. You\u2019re most likely to find cranberry (seen here, also known as borlotti) or cannellini. Though it's not intuitive, you want to &lt;strong&gt;choose pods that are actually well shriveled&lt;/strong&gt; but still damp and pliable; the beans inside will be plump and mature and offer the best flavor.\r\n\r\nThe easiest way to cook them is to boil or simmer them in salted water, then drain and dress with a vinaigrette while they\u2019re warm. You could do that. But I found that cooking them with&lt;strong&gt; garlic, herbs, and a little tomato gave them a ton of flavor&lt;/strong&gt;, and by covering the pot while they cooked, there was plenty of steamy moisture to keep them from drying out.\r\n\r\n&lt;strong&gt;START SIMPLE&lt;/strong&gt;\u00A0Saut\u00E9 crushed whole garlic in good olive oil (be generous). Add sprigs of herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, or oregano.\r\n\r\n&lt;strong&gt;ADD BEANS&lt;/strong&gt;\u00A0Your kids took forever to shuck those beans, right? Mine too. Add the beans to the pot and season with salt and pepper.\r\n\r\n&lt;strong&gt;THROW IN SOMETHING JUICY&lt;/strong&gt;\u00A0Tomatoes are in season (just sayin\u2019). A splash of chicken stock or some water will work, too. You just need something to help conduct heat into the bean and encourage them to soften.\r\n\r\n&lt;strong&gt;PUT A LID ON IT&lt;/strong&gt;\u00A0Lower the heat so the liquid is at a bare simmer, and cover the pot.\r\n\r\n&lt;strong&gt;STIR, SOMETIMES&lt;/strong&gt;\u00A0Check the beans for tenderness and stir after 10 minutes. And again 10 minutes later.\r\n\r\n&lt;strong&gt;FINISH&lt;/strong&gt;\u00A0A squeeze of lemon or splash of red wine vinegar will brighten things up, and I\u2019m sure no one would complain if you dusted the tender beans with a little Parmesan. Chopped fresh herbs (whatever you added at the beginning) would be a great way to top these, too. Cranberry beans in various stages of ripeness. Shelling help from a small person. Progress is made. The finished dish."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.bonappetit.com/columns/cooking-without-recipes/slideshow/shelling-beans>