For plump tender beans it is best to cook them in plenty of boiling salted water, like pasta. This is a method I learned long ago from watching Julia Child cook on TV. If Romano beans (the wide flat Italian green string bean) are available use them. Regular Blue Lake green beans are delicious. I don't normally buy the French beans unless they are especially fresh and tender. Each of these beans will have a slightly different cooking time. Taste as you go. Adapted from the book Fresh & Fast.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
2 pounds green beans trimmed and stringed
Kosher salt
½ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
½ cup crescent moon shaped slivered red onion
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
1. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add the beans and 1 tablespoon salt. Boil uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked to desired tenderness, (taste to make sure), 5 to 8 minutes, or as needed. Drain.
2. Meanwhile combine the mint and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large serving bowl. Toss the hot beans and the red onion with the mint mixture to combine. Taste and add more olive oil and a pinch more of salt, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Parsnips and carrots are similar in flavor and are delicious when roasted together. Tarragon goes well with both of these vegetables. From the book Fresh & Fast.
1 bag (1 pound) carrots, trimmed, peeled, cut into 1-inch thick diagonal slices
1 bag (1 pound) parsnips, trimmed, peeled, cut into 1 inch thick diagonal slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, snipped from the stems or a pinch of dried tarragon
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the carrots, parsnips and oil in a shallow 13x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and half of the fresh tarragon, if using, or all of the dried. Stir to blend.
2. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 55 minutes. Add the remaining fresh tarragon, if using, just before serving.
