When it comes to green beans, the fresher, the better. Avoid buying limp beans; they should be crisp enough to snap when bent in half. Pass over any beans that are discolored, spotted or leathery-looking. Use beans as soon as possible, but keep them, unwashed, for three or four days, in a paper or plastic bag. Wash the beans just before cooking.

Young, thin green beans make a colorful, crisp addition to raw salads. Accentuate their bright green color by blanching them for about 10 seconds. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process, and blot dry before adding to a summer salad.

Pub Date: 7/26/98