How To Grow Pole Beans 7 Feet High A Better Use For Tomato Cages!

A simple way to grow pole beans.

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Pole Beans 
One of the most enjoyable things about growing beans is to see how tall and how fast they grow. But let's face it, we are all tempted to grow bush beans, especially if we don't have anything for beans to climb on. Here's a really easy way to grow pole beans in a very small space with something you probably already have!

A Better Use for Tomato Cages
Tomato cages are probably the worse design in history. As the tomato plant grows, you are constantly trying to figure out how to stuff the thick stems through the narrow bottom circular ring. There are much better ways to grow and stake tomatoes, such as a square cage made of hog wire. 

As an engineer, I look for ways to use failed contraptions and since I have a pile of useless tomato cages, I thought, "why not build a tower for my beans and other climbing vegetables?" (I am also using this technique to grow cucumbers.) Here's what I did. I asked my husband Doug to demonstrate.

#1 - Place a tomato cage upside down on the growing site.
The picture shows the regular size tomato cages but for my beans, in the pictures below, I use large tomato cages. They will create a 7-foot tower. 

#2 - Insert a second tomato cage right side up into the bottom cage.

#3 - Align the cages so that they are perfectly straight.

#4 - Stake the cages in place with one or two pieces of rebar or other types of stakes.
Beans are pretty top heavy so use 2 stakes.

 #5 - Plant a bean seed at each vertical bar.
As they grow, train them to grow up the bars.

#6 - When the plant grows laterals, tie some twine from the bottom wrung to the top to provide additional vertical bars for the beans to grab.

#7 - Watch them grow!
In a very short time, my Romano beans grew 7 feet tall! And now they are cascading over the top and will make their way back down.

You might even see a hummingbird using it to take a little rest!

Several weeks later!

My Favorite Beans
My favorite beans are the Italian Romano Beans. They are quite prolific and very easy to grow. Here's what they will look like at harvest.

Last year's harvest of Romano beans.

Here are some recipes for Romano Beans:

Romano Green Bean and Garbanzo Bean Salad.

Julienne Cut French Style Green Beans.

Vegan 5 Bean Chili - A Heathy And Inexpensive Meal For A Super Bowl Crowd

Feed a crowd with this delicious pot of chili.

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Feeding a Crowd
Whether you are having a party on Sunday to watch the Panthers play the Broncos, or just getting together with friends to watch the commercials or Lady Gaga sing the national anthem and watch Coldplay perform the halftime show, you may be preparing to feed a crowd. Here's a dish that doesn't hurt your wallet or your waistline. And, it's incredibly simple and quick to make.

After preparing a big pot of this 5-bean chili, you can stretch it even further by serving it on a bed of rice or quinoa. Being Italian, my favorite way is to stir it into a big bowl of fusilli pasta topped with Go Veg parmesan topping. Or make a bunch of baked potatoes and serve it over a split potato topped with vegan sour cream and grated cheddar or jack style cheese. But first, let's make the chili!

Canned Beans
I usually make my beans from scratch to avoid the BPA (bisphenol-A) linings in most canned beans. But today you can find lots of organic beans with non-BPA linings in your health food store or in Whole Foods Market. Besides, it's a lot easier to use cans when you are using 5 different types of beans.

Feel free to select different beans but always try to find ones with a BPA-free lining. BPA is an industrial chemical that is an endocrine disruptor and is linked to an increased risk of infertility, obesity, breast and other cancers. 

Corn Tortillas
I use corn tortillas to thicken the chili. It's easier than adding masa harina (corn flour.) If you buy organic corn tortillas, it will guarantee that they are GMO free!

Organic always means Non-GMO!

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5-Bean Chili
Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or non-GMO canola oil 
1 large onion, diced (~2 cups)
1 (15 ounce) can organic black beans
1 (15 ounce) can organic garbanzo beans
1 (15 ounce) can organic pinto beans
1 (15 ounce) can organic red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can organic Great Northern beans
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons ground chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (28 ounce) can organic crushed tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes (optional for added "heat")
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies (mild)
2 1/2 to 3 cups vegetable broth
cayenne pepper or fresh jalapeño to taste
salt to taste
3 non-GMO corn tortillas, thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Directions
Heat olive oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot. Add the onion and sauté on medium-low heat until soft, stirring frequently, about 8 to 10 minutes. 

While the onion is cooking, drain and rinse all of the beans. Set aside.

After the onions have softened, stir in the cumin, oregano, chili powder, black pepper, and garlic powder and stir until the onions are well coated. 

Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes (if using) diced green chilies, and the broth. If you use Rotel tomatoes, use 2 1/2 cups of broth. If not, use 3 cups of broth.

Taste for spice. The can of Rotel tomatoes will give it some kick already. But for more heat, add cayenne pepper to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there). Or, add a finely diced jalapeño. You can also get a can of diced jalapeños and add it a teaspoon at a time until you get the right spice level. Not everyone will want it super spicy, so it's best to make it on the mild side and serve the chili with hot sauce or spicy salsa.

Salt to taste. I wait until now because when a dish is spicy, you may not need to add much salt. Also, depending on the beans and the broth you use, the chili may already have quite a bit of salt.

To thicken the chili, stir in the thinly sliced corn tortillas and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tortillas are practically dissolved and the chili is the proper consistency.

Stir in the fresh cilantro and it's ready to serve!

Serve as is with a few slices of fresh jalapeño.

Or with crunched up corn chips, jalapeños, and sour cream.

It's delicious stirred into pasta topped with vegan pam.

Enjoy!

Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans, Kale, And MushroomsMade In An Instant Pot Electric Pressure CookerEasy Vegan And Gluten-Free Meal

Cranberry beans are a great source of protein and fiber.

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Beans and Greens
"Beans and greens" is one of my absolute favorite and versatile meals. We always have tons of kale in the garden and a pantry-full of various dried beans. Spinach, chard, escarole, collards, mustard and turnip greens are also excellent "greens" to make with this dish (cooking times will vary depending on the selection of beans and greens). I usually make a big pot for dinner and serve left-overs for lunch. Beans and greens can be eaten over a cooked grain, pasta or as is. And now with my Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker, it's easier than ever to make this healthy and delicious dish.

The Mind Diet, a diet used in a study to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, recommends eating six or more servings of greens and three servings of beans per week. 

Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans
This year I became addicted to Rancho Gordo beans. My son sent me a huge assortment of them for Christmas and I've been working my way through them in various recipes. The Cranberry Bean has become one of my favorites. Their creamy texture and short cooking time make them perfect for many dishes such as "beans and greens" or my other personal favorite, "pasta e fagioli", or as they say back in Brooklyn, "pasta fazool."

Cranberry beans are an excellent source of vegetarian protein, providing 16.5 grams of "complete" protein per cup, meaning they contain every essential amino acid. They also provide a whopping 17.7 grams of dietary fiber. One cup also provides 92% of the daily requirement of folate, an especially critical nutrient during pregnancy.

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Cranberry Beans, Kale, and Mushrooms
Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]
Requires an Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dry cranberry beans
4 inch piece kombu (optional)
4 slices of onion
Salt and pepper to taste
8 cups destemmed, thinly sliced kale
4 ounces fresh maitake or shiitake mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Sort through the beans, removing rocks and debris. Rinse well.

Place in the Instant Pot and cover with 2 or more inches of cold water. Let sit over night.

You have two choices after this:
* Rancho Gordo suggests cooking the beans in their soaking water. This provides for a slightly richer broth. Or:
* You can rinse the beans before cooking them. Soaking and rinsing the beans helps eliminate the indigestible sugars that cause gas and reduces the phytates that bind with important minerals making them unavailable. You still get a rich, delicious broth.

Whether you cook the beans in their soaking water or rinse them after soaking, make sure there is at least an inch or two of water covering the beans. I like to make my beans saucy.

Add the sliced onions over the beans and snip the piece of kombu into thin slices and add to the pot. You may also leave the kombu whole and remove it before eating. Some people reuse it.

Kombu is a sea vegetable.
It improves digestibility of beans and reduces issue with gas.
Kombu is a source of iodine, missing in many diets.
Look for it at your health food store or Whole Foods.

Beans, water, kombu and onions in the Instant Pot.
Ready to start cooking!

Make sure the top vent of the Instant Pot is closed. Secure the lid, hit the manual button and set to cook at high pressure for 8 minutes.

After the pot cooks at high pressure for 8 minutes, hit the off button and let the pressure come down naturally. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it so that the steam escapes in the back. Test the beans to see if they are done. Salt and pepper to taste and place the cooked beans and broth in a large pot or casserole dish. Set aside. No need to wash the instant pot. You'll be using it again.

Cranberry beans after cooking.

I selected maitake mushrooms for this dish today but I've also made it with others. Shiitake mushrooms are particularly good to use. If you are using maitake, break them apart into small pieces. If you are using shiitakes, remove the stem and thinly slice.

Maitake mushroom.

Place the kale, mushrooms, garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper into the Instant Pot. Add 3/4 cups of the bean broth to the kale mixture. Stir to combine.

Secure the lid and hit the manual button. Set to cook at high pressure for 3 to 4 minutes. When complete, hit the off button and do a quick release of the pressure. Open the lid carefully. Mix the kale and the beans together. 

Serve over rice, quinoa, millet, or other whole grain. Or, mix together with cooked pasta.

Nutrition
Per serving: 228 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 285 mg omega-3 and 355 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 15 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, and 15 g dietary fiber.