Add long beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) to the list of veggies that I had never sampled prior to moving to Chico. I have not always been a fan of green beans, but these have changed my mind.

If you have not had them yet--a dollar a bunch at the farmers markets--go for it now, as the season is coming to a close. I like to cut them into 4" lengths and then stir fry on high heat for about 5 minutes with a little bit of oil, often accompanied with some thinly-sliced sweet red peppers. Serve with salt and black pepper.

I have found that I am partial to the dark green variety, though I have also seen purple and light green beans. And last but not least, they score 5 out of 5 on the "looks funky" scale.