Fagiolini dell’occhio Yardlong Bean (Cowpea)

Heirloom Italian yardlong bean grown since at least the late 1950's by Vasco Marconi, proprietor of the famous Villa Marconi Ristorante in Chicago.  Seed for the variety was maintained since the late 1990's by Patti Trotsky, family friend and longtime waitress at the restaurant, until it was donated to Seed Savers Exchange in 2013.   Vigorous, vining plants produce heavy yields of thin green beans of up to 2 feet in length.  Long, tender pods are typically cooked as fresh green beans, sautéed in olive oil and seasoned with garlic, and sometimes anchovies.  Requires trellising.  Harvests begin approximately 75 days after sowing.  Each packet contains a minimum of 25 seeds.