This week’s Seasonal Pantry focuses on the bounty of green beans now in season, with two recipes, Green Beans with Warm Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette and Zuni Cafe’s Long-Cooked Romano Beans, as voluptuous a vegetable dish as you’ll find anywhere. In that column, I promise links to recipes from previous green bean seasons and so here you go, culled from the Seasonal Pantry archives. As I write nearly every year, green beans must be cooked to develop their full flavor. Julia Child hated uncooked and undercooked green beans and I completely agree with her. Cook those green beans!
Green Beans with Smoked Salmon • Serves 3 to 4
This summery salad takes its inspiration from two sources, the classic salade Nicoise of France, and the yummy smoked salmon that Paul Thornton sells at the farmers market. Paired with good eggs cooked so that they are are tender rather than rubbery and fresh green beans, the salmon is even more delicious than usual.
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 backyard or farmers’ market eggs
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound fresh flat green beans, such as Spanish Musica or Romano
- 8 to 10 olives, such as Kalamata, pitted and diced
- 6 to 8 ounces dry smoked salmon, such as Paul’s, broken into small pieces
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
- Black pepper in a mill
- 6 to 8 diagonal slices of sourdough baguette, toasted until golden brown
- Put the onion in a small bowl, add the vinegar and set aside for 20 minutes.
- Put the eggs into a small pot, add water to come 1-inch above the eggs and set over medium heat. When the water almost boils, reduce the heat to very very low, cover the pan and let sit for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs continue to sit, covered, in the hot water for 5 minutes more for small eggs and 10 to 12 minutes more for large eggs. Drain the water, cover the eggs with a handful of ice cubes and fill the pot with water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs from the cool water, carefully crack the shells on the side of the sink and peel the eggs. Rinse in cool water to remove any bits of shell. Set the eggs aside.
- Fill a large pot about half full with water, add a generous tablespoon of kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the beans are tender. Drain thoroughly, shake off excess water, and put into a large wide serving bowl.
- Drain and discard the vinegar and toss the onion with the beans. Add the olives and toss again. Add the salmon, drizzle with the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss very gently. Taste and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil if the mixture is a little too tart. Add the parsley, season with salt, and toss again. Carefully cut the eggs in half lengthwise and arrange them over the salad. Season generously with black pepper and a little kosher salt. Serve immediately, with the toasted baguette slices alongside.
Basic Green Beans, with Variations
Haricots Verts with Zucchini Noodles, Sungold Tomatoes and Garlic
Romano Beans with Warm Vinaigrette
Pappardelle with Green Beans, Zucchini Ribbons & Tomatoes
Green Beans with a Poached Egg & Warm Tomato Vinaigrette
Green Beans with Burrata & Cherry Tomatoes
Romano Beans with Basil Butter
Fall Pasta with Rosamarina, Corn, Haricots Verts & Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette
Warm Potato Salad with Summer Variations (see variation 2)
Green Beans in Thai Green Curry
Warm Summer Salad of Green Beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes & Bacon