Cranberry beans

When I saw a huge pile of cranberry beans at the grocery store, I couldn't resist.

Aren't they pretty? I shelled them while watching Barefoot Contessa and ended up with this:

The beans are slightly bigger than a pinto bean with a little bit of a grassy flavor. To serve, I blanched the beans in salted water for about 15 minutes. Next, I browned about 2 teaspoons of butter in a saucepan and added a finely minced shallot. I sauteed the shallot for a minute, and then added in the beans, salt and pepper and fresh thyme. Chives would probably be good too.