What is the newest fresh veggie to hit the local markets? ...Beans!

Green beans, yellow beans, wax beans, purple beans, all are generally the same and can be used interchangeably in recipes. Slight texture differences and colors are the main traits that differentiate each variety.

How can you tell a "fresh" bean from a "not so fresh" bean? Snap!

The simple test is a "snap" ; the bean should be so firm and crisp that if you tried to touch both ends together, the bean would easily snap into two pieces. A "not so fresh" bean would just bend and not actually snap.