Legume Levity

You know the rhyme about “beans, beans, the musical fruit,…” But do you know that legume levity is not limited to toots and tunes? Today we turn to our favorite upright gardening crop, asparagus beans.

We grow heirloom asparagus beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) also known as Chinese long beans, yardlong beans, snakes beans, and long-podded cowpeas. Ours usually grow 15-18” long, and our greatest success results from erecting an 8-10’ tall “teepee” for the uppity legume vines to climb over the course of the summer.

(Source: Asparagus Beans)

Looong, lanky, and distinctively delicious, asparagus beans prepare quickly, complement any main course at all, and — when gathered in a colorful clutch — make a unique host/hostess gift for your next gathering.

But enough with the nuts and bolts. On to lighthearted lines!

Legume Levity

Up, up, and around wind
the asparagus beans,
Half-yard-long purple pods,
twining vigorous vine,
and lofty exuberance 
meet teepee tower,
meet garden tuteur,
meet quasi obelisk,
meet primal pulse,
meet morning sky,
meet bluebird dome,
meet sundown in hand,
in harvest hod,
in cold water,
in between chop-block
and rhythmic cleaver,
in sauté skillet,
in minced garlic,
in olive oil,
in ground pepper,
in flakes of salt,
in our m-m-m… our mouths. 

They truly are that tasty. And oh-so pretty on the plate.

Pretty on the vine too, especially if you’re keen on upright gardening. If so, we recommend this simple to make “bean teepee” assembled from four (or more) straight branches gathered into a simple conical structure with the tops lashed together. This rustic obelisk or upcountry garden tutor will lift your asparagus beans skyward while maximizing harvest and minimizing space usage. Win, win, win.

If legume levity makes sense to you, here’s a tidier treatment.

Asparagus Beans Haiku

Big bountiful beans,
red-podded asparagus,
climbing the teepee.

(Source: Asparagus Beans)

NB: Red-podded asparagus beans and purple asparagus beans are one and the same. Come to think of it, perhaps we should simply call them burgundy asparagus beans. Or claret? I’m hungry…