Green Beans and Shelling Beans with Cherry Tomatoes
From the Annie Somerville collection
| Serves | 4 |
Annie Sommerville is the chef at Greens, the beloved vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. This dish was featured at a benefit dinner at Greens for Marin Agricultural Land Trust, during Slow Food Nation.
Introduction
Young shelling beans — available at farmers’ markets throughout the summer months — are the big deal here, cooked until completely tender and dressed warm, so they soak up the sharp Champagne vinaigrette. You can use different varieties of beans; just be sure to cook them separately, as the cooking time will vary with their size.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
| 2 | Tbsp. Champagne vinegar | |
| ½ | Tbsp. Dijon mustard | |
| ½ | tsp. salt | |
| ~ | Pinch of pepper | |
| ¼ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
Salad
| ½ | lb. shelling beans: cranberry, cannellini, or flageolet, shelled, about ¾ cup beans | |
| ½ | lb. fresh summer beans: yellow wax, Blue Lake, or Romano beans, stem ends trimmed and cut in half on the diagonal | |
| ½ | cup ripe, little cherry tomatoes, cut in half | |
| 2 | Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley or ½ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano | |
| ~ | Salt and pepper | |
| ~ | Champagne vinegar |
Steps
- Make the vinaigrette: Combine everything but the oil in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil until emulsified. Set aside.
- Make the salad: Bring a small pot of water to a boil and drop in the shelling beans. Lower the heat to a gentle boil and cook until completely tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Taste the beans to be sure they’re ready before you drain them. Drain and toss in a large bowl with half of the vinaigrette and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
- Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil and salt lightly. Cook the fresh beans separately, allowing 2 to 3 minutes for green beans, 4 to 6 minutes for yellow wax, and 6 to 8 minutes for large Romano beans. Scoop them from the water with a strainer; rinse under cold water and drain.
- Toss the fresh beans into the shelling beans along with the remaining vinaigrette and the herbs. Just before serving, add the tomatoes and season to taste with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if needed.
Notes
If shelling beans aren’t available, just make the salad without them and increase the cherry tomatoes to a full cup.
This content is from the Annie Somerville collection.