This year is the first time in 40 years that my family will not be joining our friends Duane and Connie for Thanksgiving. Yes, you read that right. We are doing this so as to increase the likelihood that we will be together next year. Connie’s annual feast includes a number of very special, tried and true recipes, and this one for Green Beans and Potatoes is one of the ones that I think about most in the between times.

Connie has spent most of her life in New Jersey, but she grew up in the Midwest, where she learned to make this green bean recipe from her mother and mother-in-law. She calls this way of making green beans “Midwestern style,” and it is, by a long shot, my favorite way to eat green beans. This is one of those “more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts” recipes.

To start, you’re going to need a lot of herbs, so you should either grow an herb garden or have a neighbor who does. If not, you can get them, along with a generous amount (5-6 huge handfuls) of fresh green beans, at the grocery store or the farmers’ market.

First, trim the ends of the green beans and scrub 2 large potatoes. Then you’re going to clean, plump, and freshen the beans and potatoes by soaking them in cold water for 1 to 2 hours. Retrieve the potatoes, chop them into quarters, and set them to boil in a large pot. Add 2-3 bay leaves to the potatoes. Connie calls the bay leaves “an old Grandma trick” to enhance the flavor. And if anyone knows anything about flavor, it’s Connie. It would be impossible to count the number of extraordinary meals that she and Duane have created in their magical kitchen.

When the potatoes are almost cooked through, add the green beans and cook until bright green. Dump the water immediately, and remove the bay leaves. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, olive oil, or Earth Balance (Connie’s choice) into the vegetables, along with 2 tablespoons each of fresh chives, parsley, dill, and oregano. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste. Use a fork to break up some of the potatoes coarsely into 1-2 inch chunks, which has the effect of allowing some of the potato to coat the green beans. Feeds a family or an army.

Happy Thanksgiving 2020. I am grateful for my friends and family, for the amount of time we spent out of doors this year, and for my passionate and committed colleagues. Stay safe, everyone, so that everyone who needs a hospital bed can get one.