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This is how your mother and your grandmother prepared green beans for Sunday dinner. Don't get me wrong. I love green beans cooked this way. But see the notes at the bottom of the page if nutrition is your primary focus. And if you won't miss that lovely pot liquor.

• 2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and snapped
• 1/2 pound salt pork
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 or 7 medium new potatoes (red skin potatoes)

In a heavy Dutch oven, combine the beans, salt and salt pork with enough water to cover. Over medium-high heat, bring beans to a boil and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour.

Then, add the potatoes, cover, and cook for an additional 45 minutes. Remove lid, and cook over low heat until the liquid is substantially reduced and beans are very tender. Do not let the potatoes cook to pieces. (You can remove them if it becomes necessary, keep them warm and put them back in when the beans are done.) Makes 6 or 7 servings.

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Notes: The above recipe is a good reason why Texans earned a reputation for cooking vegetables to death. Green beans, like all vegetables, retain more nutritients when they are cooked less.

To prepare a pot of fresh green beans with nutrition in mind, half fill a Dutch oven with water and bring it to a boil. Then add about 2 pounds of snapped green beans to the boiling water. After the water returns to a full boil, boil for 8 minutes; remove pot from heat and drain beans. Rinse beans with cold water to stop the cooking process. When you are ready to eat, reheat the beans with 3 or 4 tablespoons of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Of course, if you refuse to have butter on your plate, you can substitute a little flavored olive oil.