Beans and New Potatoes à la façon d'Illinois

Vintage seed advertisement found on Pinterest.

Take a couple of pieces of bacon and cut them into squares.  Throw them into a medium-hot Dutch oven until they render and start to brown.

You could make this without bacon, of course, but why would you want to?

Send someone who loves you a lot out into the garden to pull a medium-sized onion.  Wash it, peel it, and slice it very thinly.  Turn the heat down under the skillet and stir the onions around in the bacon fat until they get limp.

Send someone who loves you a lot out into the garden to pick off half a row of green beans.  Snap and string them* -- you should have about six cups.  Wash them and make sure none of them are buggy.

Send someone who loves you a lot out into the garden to dig a hill of potatoes.  Put the big ones aside for tomorrow.  Wash the rest and cut the medium-sized ones into the same general size as the small ones.  You want approximately the same amount of potatoes as you have beans.

Put the beans and the potatoes into the Dutch oven and stir them around until they get a nice dose of the bacon fat and the onions.  Sprinkle with salt and pour in two cups of hot water.  Bring everything to a boil, slap the lid on and turn the heat to low.

After 15 minutes check to see if the beans are done.  If they aren't give them five more minutes.  Add a little water if necessary.  Once the potatoes are tender and the beans done, dish them up in a white china bowl and pass the butter.

Serves six as a side dish, four as supper with corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes, and two if one of them plans on taking the leftovers to work for lunch.

(*he doesn't love you that much).