Tag Archives: Beans

Wynelle’s Pot Pie

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Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3 Tbs. ice water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 Tbs. veg. Oil
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 potato diced
  • 1/2 tsp. Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. Marjoram
  • 1 parsnip, diced
  • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup peas or beans
  • 1/2 cup corn
  • salt and pepper
  • 2/3 cup bread crumbs

Roux:

  • 2 Tbs. Butter
  • 2 Tbs. unbleached flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
  • 2 cups grated cheddar

To make the crust, sift flour into mixing bowl, cut in butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle ice water over flour a little at a time, turning the dough until a ball forms. Add a little more water if dough fails to come together. Place the dough in a 10-inch pie pan. To make the filling, sautÈ onions in oil until soft. Add carrots, potatoes, parsnip, paprika, basil and marjoram. Cook covered for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in mushrooms, peas and corn. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook about 5 or 10 minutes. To make the roux, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir constantly on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the milk, mustard and nutmeg. Continue to stir on low heat until mixture is thickened but do not let it boil. Remove from heat and whisk in grated cheese. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To assemble the pie, spoon the drained vegetable into the pie crust, pour the roux over the vegetable filling. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs and, if you like, a few pinches of grated cheddar. Bake for 40 minutes.

Adapted from Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant.

Tarragon or Basil Green Beans

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  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 36 black peppercorns
  • 3 lbs young, tender snap beans, trimmed, if necessary, to 4 inches
  • 6 tarragon sprigs or 12 basil sprigs
  • 3 ½ cups white wine vinegar
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • 2 Tbs. pickling salt

Into each of 6 sterile pint mason jars, put 1 sliced garlic and 6 peppercorns.  Pack the beans vertically into the jars, adding 1 tarragon sprig or 2 basil sprigs to each jar.  In a non-reactive saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, water and salt.  Pour the hot liquid over the beans, leaving ½ inch headspace.  Close the jars with hot two-piece caps.  Process the jars for 5 minutes in a boiling-water bath, or pasteurize them for 30 minutes in water heated to 180-185 degrees, F.  Store the cooled jars in a cool, dark place for at least 1 month before eating the beans.

Roasted Green Beans With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Olives

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Roasting is a great technique for tenderizing and sweetening larger, late-summer beans. Adding this sauce further enhances this dish.

For the beans:

  • 1 lb. green beans, stem ends snapped off
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

  • 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 c. drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes  (rinsed, patted dry, coarsely chopped)
  • 1/2 c. kalamata olives (quartered lengthwise)
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh oregano

For topping:

  • 1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese

An aluminum foil liner prevents burning on dark nonstick baking sheets and facilitates cleanup. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread beans on lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; using hands, toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt, toss to coat, and distribute in an even layer. Roast 10 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, redistribute beans. Continue roasting until beans are dark golden brown in spots and have started to shrivel, 10 to 12 minutes longer.

While beans roast, combine sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beans; toss well to combine, and adjust seasonings. Transfer to serving dish, top with goat cheese and serve. From Cook’s Illustrated.

Ratatouille

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  • 1 eggplant, diced
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 sweet pepper, chopped
  • ½ lb. green beans
  • 4-5 tomatoes
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 sprigs of basil, finely chopped

If you wish, blanch and peel tomatoes, seed, and chop.  Tomatoes can also just be chopped and used skin, seeds and all.  Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions and garlic, and saute until translucent.  Add eggplant and zucchini, turn up heat and cook until they start to brown.  Add sweet pepper, green beans and chopped tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, add salt, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add basil in the last five minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  This can be served hot or cold.  Ratatouille can also be frozen: it keeps its taste well and is a wonderful reminder of summer in the winter months.

Hot Wax Bean Chef’s Salad

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For the mustard vinaigrette:

  • 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 6 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. vodka

For the salad:

  • ½ Lb. wax or other beans trimmed and cut French style
  • 1 small bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
  • 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 1 scallion or 2 Tbs. onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ¼ Lb. thinly sliced cooked smoked ham, cut into strips
  • 1Tbs chopped fresh basil
  • 2 cups roughly chopped cooked chicken

To make the vinaigrette: Whisk the mustard with the vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then the vodka.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to dress salad.

Cook the beans and bell pepper in boiling, salted water until crisp-tender (about 3 minutes).  Drain. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the scallion or onion and cook for 1 minute.  Add the garlic and cook an additional 3 minutes.  Add the beans and peppers, ham, chicken and basil and cook, tossing continually, until warmed through.  Transfer the salad to a serving dish, pour the chilled vinaigrette over the top and toss at the table before serving.

From Greene on Greens and Grains.

Green Beans and Fennel Ragout

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  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
  • 3 Tbs. olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 3 large potatoes cut in 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 lb green beans
  • 2 cups fennel in 1/4 inch slices
  • 2 pinches saffron threads
  • 1 1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, sauté the garlic and onions in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.  Add the potatoes and tomatoes, thyme and water.  Cover and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Stem the beans and cut to 1 inch pieces.  Add the beans and sliced fennel to the pot along with saffron, orange peel and lemon juice.  Simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and beans are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe can be served with hearty peasant style bread and soft cheese like chevre or brie.  The flavors also meld nicely over time and so this dish is great as a leftover.

Green Bean Salad with Prosciutto

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  • 1 Lb. green beans
  • 4 Oz. prosciutto cut into thin strips
  • 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
  • 3 Tbs. olive oil
  • ½ medium onion chopped
  • 1 Tbs. fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup shavings of Parmesan cheese

Cook beans in a pot of salted water until tender; approx. 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Allow to dry.  In a large non-stick skillet add prosciutto and onion.  Cook over high heat until onions are translucent and prosciutto starts to crisp.  In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, kosher salt and white pepper.  Whisk in the oil.  Add the prosciutto mixture and the basil and mix well.  Add the beans and cheese shavings and toss gently.  Serve immediately.

Adapted from 1999 Food and Wine Recipes.

Gazpacho

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  • 2 slices whole grain bread or ½ garlic bagel
  • 3 cloves garlic, squeezed
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 cucumbers
  • 1 onion
  • 1 summer squash
  • 2 basil tips
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-3 lbs tomatoes
  • ½ lb. green beans
  • 1 sweet pepper

Blend bread, garlic, onion and olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth.  If needed, add tomatoes for additional liquid.  Trim vegetables of stems and blossom ends, but you do not need to peel them.  Continue adding ingredients until all are included, emptying blender as needed.  Taste and adjust seasonings then chill.  Serve cold with garnish of hard-boiled eggs, chopped onion and croutons.

Serves 4–6.

Garlic Snow Peas with Filberts

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  • 1/2 lb. snow peas
  • 2-3 small carrots, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped filberts
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan.  Sauté onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.  Add carrots, chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts can be substituted for filberts) and salt.  I tend not to use much salt when I cook, but this is one recipe where I use more than usual.  The effect you are shooting for is for the nuts to take on a salted, roasted taste.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add the snow peas and cook stirring until they take on a dark green color.  This recipe is also great with green beans instead of snow peas.

Garlic Beans with Filberts

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  • 1/2 lb. beans, cut to 1-2 inch pieces
  • 2-3 small carrots, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped filberts
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. butter
  • salt to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy frying pan.  Sauté onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.  Add carrots, chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts can be substituted for filberts) and salt.  I tend not to use much salt when I cook, but this is one recipe where I use more than usual.  The effect you are shooting for is for the nuts to take on a salted, roasted taste.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add the beans and cook stirring until they take on a dark green color.  This recipe is also great with snow peas instead of green beans.