Green beans seem to be in abundance lately, so here are two simple recipes from my clippings file (both happen to be from Bon Appetit magazine) - Debbie

Lemon-Sage Green Beans
serves 6

1 1/2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
1 lemon
3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. finely sliced fresh sage leaves (about 6 large leaves)

Cook beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Zest your lemon. If you don't happen to have a zester, simply cut off strips of peel (yellow part only) with a vegetable peeler, then cut those strips into very thin slices. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tbsp. of zest and the sage, and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add beans and toss until heated through. Season with salt & pepper.

German Sweet-and-Sour Green Beans
serves about 6 (original recipe was for 10... I reduced it - Debbie)

1 1/2 C red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
1/3 C chopped fresh parsley

Boil vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to about 3/8 C (about 45 minutes). Add butter and whisk until melted. Cool. Cook beans in boiling salted water until just tender, about 5-6 minutes. Drain beans and set aside. Put vinegar mixture into bean pot and bring to a simmer, then add cooked beans and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Mound beans in a bowl, sprinkle with parsley and serve.