snap beans

green bean and torpedo onion salad / insalata di fagiolini e cipolla rossa di Tropea

| Simona
green beans / snap beans / IMG_1963

a simple seasonal side dish with a lot of flavor
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO, cheeseboard by BHVwoodworks1)

The memoir Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton2 had been on my to-read list for a while. I had read good reviews and was intrigued by the title. Hamilton's writing and storytelling style makes for an easy reading and the events she narrates with more details are well chosen. The three parts of the title corresponds to the three parts of the book and three periods of her life: childhood-early adulthood, chef/owner of a restaurant, marriage and motherhood.

My favorite part is when she describes her boss and mentor Misty for which she worked while in graduate school in Ann Arbour, MI3.

Working with her at Zanzibar taught me how to run a restaurant. It was the first time in 20 years I'd heard a chef say "I don't know, let me look it up." It was the first time I'd seen a chef solicit the opinions or ask about the experiences of her staff. If the dishwasher's mother made posole for every family reunion, Misty would ask him about it. She ran her kitchen without insults or humiliations or fraternity-like hazings.. There is so much anger and so many crises I can handle, particularly as my reading time is at the end of the day, after I have had my own share of problem solving to do.

Once the book moves to Italy, a lot of what Hamilton recounts sounded familiar. For example, when she describes people stopping by her mother-in-law's masseria (farmhouse) in Puglia to drop various produce, she could have described my childhood experience while staying with my aunt in my father's village: we would get figs, green beans, peaches, tomatoes, etc., delivered to our house in wicker baskets. They were mostly barter (my aunt  hemmed and mended clothes for friends and neighbors). I assume some were actual sales, but I don't remember money ever appearing. "Facciamo i conti la prossima volta" (we'll settle next time) was the usual phrase.  

green beans / snap beans / IMG_1974

farm-fresh green beans are irresistible

The family of Hamilton's husband lives in Rome most of the year then moves to Puglia for the summer, so she experiences the difference between the city and the countryside of another region also in terms of food. As I was reading Hamilton's adventures, I remembered my first vacation away from my family, a fortnight spent with a friend in her hometown of Rossano, in Calabria4. A lot of the foods I ate were either new or prepared differently from the way my mother prepared them.

torpedo onion / IMG_1956

so pretty and sweet!

The latter group included green beans (a.k.a., snap beans and a few other names5), which my friend's mother boiled and dressed like a salad, but with the addition of red onion from Tropea6 (cipolla rossa di Tropea). I had never eaten a raw onion before and did not think you could. I quickly fell in love with the mild, sweet onion, elongated in shape, which is recognized at the EU level with the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) label7.

Below is that seminal salad revisited to add two ingredients that bring additional flavor: whole-grain mustard (senape in grani) and dried cherries (ciliegie secche)8. Please note that the latter are not in the bowl I used for the photographs. If I get a nice image later I will add it to the post.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Green bean and torpedo onion salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound / 450 g green beans (snap beans), possibly organic
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped dried cherries (unsweetened and unsulphured), optional
  • 2 tablespoons finely sliced and chopped torpedo onion
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • A touch of freshly ground black pepper

Trim the beans (I only top them) and wash them. Steam the beans until tender to your liking (my preference is for softer beans). Cool the beans quickly in a bath of iced water. Drain and place the beans in a salad bowl to cool thoroughly. 

Place the cherries in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of lukewarm water. Stir then stir again 15 minutes later. Set aside until ready to use.

Cut the beans into bite-sized pieces (approximately 2 inches / 5 cm long). Add the onion and toss.

Put the rest of the ingredients into a small glass jar. Screw on the lid and shake well. Distribute on the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle the cherries, if using, then toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, then serve.

Serves 3-4

green bean and torpedo onion salad / P1040011

a bowl to dive your fork into

As green bean season has just started, I know I will make this salad a lot in the near future.

1 I purchased the cheese board from BHVwoodworks: I like what Brian does with wood
2 The book's page on the publisher's website
3 In this article written for Food & Wine, Hamilton describes "Misty Callies, my reluctant mentor, who inadvertently shaped me into the chef I am now"
4 The Codex Purpureus is one of the treasures of Rossano
5 Snap beans, green beans, string beans (though modern varieties are stringless), haricot vert all refer to the same vegetable. "Green snap beans are categorized into two different groups, bush or pole beans, based on growth characteristics. If the bean plant needs support to grow, they are classified as pole beans; if the beans can grow on their own without added support, they are classified as bush beans." [source]
6 Notes on torpedo onions and the cipolla rossa di Tropea consortium's website (in Italian)
7 Definition of Protected geographical indication (PGI, IGP in Italian)
8 At the Downtown Berkeley farmers' market, I recently found sun-dried Brooks cherries with no additives from Frog Hollow farm.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di fagiolini e cipolla rossa di Tropea

or launch the insalata di fagiolini e cipolla rossa di Tropea audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by me, Simona of briciole. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

Small_NFlogoThis is also my contribution to the 36th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started 11 years ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

Souper Sundayslogo I am contributing my salad also to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books club co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

green beans, snap beans, torpedo onion, salad, Italian food

recipe: green bean and torpedo onion salad

| Simona

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insalata di fagiolini “Rattlesnake” / Rattlesnake bean salad

| Simona
Rattlesnake beans

marbled beauties

Anything purple (viola) catches my attention at the farmers' market. And it does not need to be solid purple: a light brushstroke or a hint of that deep color is enough to make me head straight for the basket or box containing the irresistible produce.

Each pod (baccello) of Rattlesnake bean is marbled purple in a unique way, like a sheet of marbled paper. The farmer celebrates singularity in each bean, just as the marbler does in each sheet of paper that he or she peels off from the water, rinses and then dries to reveal the pattern created.

Phaseolus vulgaris "Rattlesnake" (serpente a sonagli) is a variety of pole bean. The way pole beans (fagioli rampicanti) curl themselves around the support necessary for their proper development reminds me of snakes. But rather than stay close to the ground, pole beans aim for the sky, carrying with them, in their ascent, earthy hopes and dreams.

The name “Rattlesnake beans” should not intimidate the prospective buyer. And neither should their look. On the contrary, an unfamiliar item, or a familiar one in a never-seen-before attire should attract the cook like a flower attracts a bee. The meeting opens the door to a little adventure that starts with the question to the farmer: “What's this?”

I met Rattlesnake beans in a wicker basket at the Shakefork Community Farm's stand at the Arcata Farmers' Market a few weeks ago and, after the introduction, we've become fast friends. When harvested early, the substantial and sinuous beans, 6-7 inches long and of medium width, strikingly elegant in their green and purple dress, can be used as you would snap beans. I like to steam and serve them as a salad.

Rattlesnake bean salad

the moment before tossing

Freshly picked beans beg the dressing hand for a light touch. A vinaigrette is all that's needed. As I like my beans soft rather than crunchy, I offset the beans' tenderness with toasted sliced almonds (mandorle). My nasturtium-infused vinegar is perfect in this vinaigrette as it adds a hint of spiciness that brightens the beans' sweet flavor.

The only regret? As the beans soften in the heat of the cooking pot, the purple marbling runs away, as if made of water-soluble ink, leaving behind a memory, the longing for lost beauty and the desire to see it again the following week in the basket on the stall at the farmers' market.

Rattlesnake beans

portrait of Rattlesnakes as young beans

Since this is a salad, quantities are approximate and can be adjusted easily. Also, in the absence of Rattlesnake beans, other varieties of snap beans can be used.

Ingredients:

  • 18 oz. / 500 g fresh Rattlesnake beans (or another variety of snap beans)
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml sliced almonds
  • fine sea salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • nasturtium-infused vinegar (or another kind of vinegar, like sherry), to taste
  • olive oil of good quality, to taste

Wash beans and trim tops. Trim tails if you wish (I stopped doing it).

In a stainless steel basket inserted in a pot containing an inch of boiling water, steam beans to desired tenderness.

Drain beans, plunge in ice-cold water, drain and set aside to cool in a serving bowl.

Close to serving time, toast sliced almonds in a skillet on medium-low heat. Do not wander away as the almonds burn easily (it will happen the moment you turn your back to them).

Prepare the vinaigrette with Dijon mustard, salt, (nasturtium-infused) vinegar, and olive oil, adjusting quantities according to your taste. Place ingredients in a small glass jar, screw on lid and shake to emulsify.

Shortly before serving the beans, dress them with most of the vinaigrette and toss. Distribute sliced almonds on the surface and toss right before serving the salad. Serve with the remaining vinaigrette on the side.

Serves four, I think. At our house, a third guest would be able to get a small portion; a fourth one not even that, because we love these beans.

Parting note: The grower can renounce to harvest the young pods in favor of the grown up beans that develop in time. Once shelled, they can be consumed fresh or dried for long-term storage.

image from 1.bp.blogspot.comThis is my contribution to MLLA #62, the current edition of the popular, legume-centered event created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, now organized by Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen, and hosted this month by Siri of Cooking with Siri.

This is the roundup of the event.

Souper SundayslogoI am contributing my salad also to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

This is the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di fagiolini

or launch the insalata di fagiolini audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

snap bean, green bean, almond, salad

recipe: purple wax bean and tomato salad (insalata di fagiolini viola e pomodori)

| Simona
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insalata di fagiolini viola e pomodori / purple wax bean and tomato salad

| Simona

purple wax bean and tomato salad
Last Saturday at the farmers' market, I made a number of nice purchases. I have already talked about the beautiful Blush tomatoes. I also got pretty purple wax beans. Unfortunately, the photo, taken before I washed the beans, does not really do them justice: the color, described as "dark mauve," is brilliant and intense. And, as you can see, the inside is bright green. When I plunged the beans into the boiling water, however, the original color disappeared almost immediately and the beans turned green. 

purple wax beans
I contemplated a traditional combination with potatoes (albeit ones with red flesh), when the tomatoes in the CSA box made me change my mind. I selected a yellow one and one that is red and green, with a nice layout of the two colors. I then decided that toasted sesame seeds would provide the right note of flavor and a bit of texture contrast. Finally, a hint of basil rounded off the simple vinaigrette of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (I am aware that not everybody likes the idea of vinegar on tomatoes, but I do. I grew up eating panzanella and various types of tomato salads all including vinegar.)

Printer-friendly version of briciole's recipe for  Purple wax bean and tomato salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb purple wax beans
  • heirloom tomatoes of your choice, the number depending on their size
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (semi di sesamo), toasted in a dry skillet until golden and fragrant
  • sea salt, to taste
  • olive oil (olio d'oliva) of good quality
  • balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico) of good quality
  • basil chiffonade, to taste

Trim the beans (I topped and tailed them) and wash them. Cut them into approx. 2-inch pieces. (I did this after cooking them, but it is better to do it before.) Plunge them into a pot of boiling salted water, bring back water to a boil and cook until desired tenderness. Drain, place in a salad bowl and let cool thoroughly. 

Wash and slice the tomatoes, and add to the beans. In a small jar, measure olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt to taste. Screw on the lid and shake well. Distribute on the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and toss again, then serve.

There was quite a bit of juice released by the tomatoes in the bowl, so we used pieces of my homemade challah to fare la scarpetta. We had also another salad for dinner, but that is a story for another post.

image from 1.bp.blogspot.com This is my submission for My Legume Love Affair 38, the current edition of the popular, legume-centered event created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, and hosted this month by Preeti of Relishing Recipes.

This post contains the first part of the roundup of the event, and this post contains the second part.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

insalata di fagiolini viola e pomodori

or launch the insalata di fagiolini viola e pomodori audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

wax bean, tomato, salad

fagiolino / snap bean

| Simona
image from briciole.typepad.com

Phaseolus vulgaris

Fagiolino is a diminutive of fagiolo (bean) and it is most often used in the plural, fagiolini. I have always called fagiolini green beans here, but a recent post by Lisa of Champaign Taste featuring the purple and yellow varieties, besides the green one, made me decide to consult the dictionary. As a result, from now on I will try and call them snap beans, a term previously unknown to me.

I have always loved fagiolini, even as a vegetable-averse child and teenager. The day of the first written test at the end of high school, after six hours spent writing an essay, I went home exhausted and found a bowl of freshly-boiled green beans. I cut them into bite-size pieces, added a splash of vinegar and a thread of olive oil, and ate the whole bowl. After I finished, my somewhat dismayed mother commented: “Erano un chilo di fagiolini” (that was more than two pounds of snap beans).

I like my fagiolini boiled until they are on the soft side, but I am aware that most people like them on the crunchy side. Also, I sometimes use fresh lemon juice rather than vinegar as seasoning for my fagiolini.

As a child, the task of snapping off the top and tail of fagiolini before my mother boiled them fell upon me. In the process, the string along the seams can be pulled away, in case it is tough. The string nowadays is rarely a problem, because growers have selected beans without the undesirable trait that gave them one of their names (string beans). 

In Veneto (the region around Venice), fagiolini are called tegoline, a sweet-sounding word I just love. In Milan, on the other hand, fagiolini are called cornetti, which was utterly confusing to me the first time I heard it, since in my home town cornetti are croissants.

I have planted a few seeds of bush beans in my garden. Unlike pole beans, bush beans do not need to climb over a support. I am hoping some of the baby fagiolini of the photo will grow enough to be harvested and cooked to taste.

Whblogging_3 This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, a food blogging event started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, hosted this week by Melissa from Cooking Diva. WHB is rapidly approaching its second birthday: congratulations Kalyn! Here’s the roundup of WHB #95.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post: 

fagiolino

or launch the fagiolino audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]