Growing Tastebuds

Growing up I was never a big fan of beans (green beans being the exception), specifically their mushy texture. I remember telling mom, "they taste like bad/rotten mashed potatoes."  Over the past couple years I have s.l.o.w.l.y. been acquiring a taste for select varieties as long as they're within something. Like my parents chili, black beans sprinkled over a taco salad, garbanzo beans mashed into hummus, and lentil soup. I know lentils aren't quite a bean ... but that texture is close enough. Ha! My most recent addition is lima/butter beans fresh from the farmers market. Earlier today I sat on the porch, shelled all the beans, washed 'em up, and simmered them in water with some olive oil and onions for 20 minutes. A little pile of beans graced my dinner plate tonight and I ate every single one of them. Yay! I let my mom know shortly after of my accomplishment. They are not going to rise quickly to my "favorite" list, and I don't think I could just sit and eat a bowl of them by themselves. But maybe one day. :) In the meantime, my pretty tomatoes, herbs, and cous cous helped distract my mind from that texture.