A true staple of many country kitchens.
My mother used to grow these tough, stringy things. She'd boil them for half an hour with a few slices of bad salt pork and serve them or can them. Ick.
I much prefer picking, young, tender green beans, saute over high heat on top of the stove with just a drop of oil or butter for a couple of minutes. Add a little water if it gets too dry. Spash a little soy sauce over them right before they are served.
Yard long beans are also good, available in many oriental markets, cooked similarly. I grow them in the United States, but they never come out more than a foot long :-)