Green Beans

The green beans have been coming in and every summer I try to eat as many as I can while they are fresh so I don’t have to freeze them.

Green beans are called snap beans, pole beans, runner beans, bush beans, and string beans. Each name tells a little of the story of this type of bean. Beans that grow on vines-such as the native varieties-are called pole beans or runner beans because they need to run up poles or arbors for support. The name “green bean” refers not to their color, but to their immaturity because they are picked while the young pods are still edible. String beans have a sturdy, inedible string running down the sides of the pods that must be pulled off before the beans can be eaten. Because strings have been bred out of most varieties, string beans (both the name and the beans themselves) are fading into obscurity, although some people maintain that string beans are the tastiest of all and continue to grow them.

A word about cooking beans. Few aspects of southern cooking are more maligned and misunderstood than the issue of how long to cook vegetables, particularly snap beans and greens. At one time, most snap beans were sturdy pole beans with thick, tough pods that required extensive cooking to become edible. However, subjecting the newer stringless varieties to long cooking would dissolve them into a tasteless mess. If a bean pod is delicate and tender enough to eat raw, it needs quick, gentle cooking. If a bean pod is thick and has strings that must be pulled off, it needs long, slow cooking. When you know your bean, you know your cooking method.

I found this recipe for my husband’s green beans which are quite sturdy and need to be cooked slowly. These beans are simmered in onions, bacon, and tomatoes and go back to true southern roots.

From The New Southern Garden by Sheri Castle.

Slow-Simmered Beans with Tomatoes and Bacon

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 ¼ pound sturdy string beans

3 ounces high-quality slab or sliced bacon cut into ½-inch cubes or strips

1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and cut into thin strips

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped fresh tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Break off the ends of the beans and use them like pull tabs to pull off the strings that run down the seams of the pods. No amount of cooking will make those strings edible. Snap (break) the beans into bite-sized lengths.

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until it is browned and has rendered its drippings, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Stir in the beans, salt, and pepper and b ring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the beans are completely tender, about 2 hours. The beans just stay very moist in a little gently bubbling sauce, so add water as needed. Check the seasoning and serve hot. Store cooled leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days. They get better each day.

The next recipe is a quick and easy way to prepare whole beans. It works best with slender pods with few developed beans inside.

Oven-Roasted Whole Beans

Makes 4-6 servings

1-1 ½ pounds slender beans, ends trimmed

1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Put the beans on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with enough oil to moisten, season with the salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread the beans in a single layer and roast until tender with a few browned spots, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the size and freshness of the pods.

Check the seasoning and serve hot.

Variation: You can use infused oil, such as garlic, lemon, basil, or mushroom, in place of the regular olive  oil.

 

Fried Green Tomatoes

We had a three day trip to Nashville to visit relatives last week and the relatives were nice but the best part was going through Birmingham twice and getting to eat at two of Frank Stitt’s restaurants. I never miss a chance to stop there and it is just perfect timing for lunch.

Day one was a stop at Chez Fon Fon. They do not take reservations so I always worry about getting a table. But we were successful in securing a small table by the window and close to the bar. We started with sharing fried green tomatoes and they were terrific with peas, corn, and small tomatoes added to the fried green tomatoes. (I came home to duplicate it). Recipe below. On Tuesday Chez Fon Fon had a special of summer vegetables which included tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, peas and zucchini. My husband had this dish and I had pork paillard with grilled eggplant and zucchini and lots of garlic and it was wonderful.

Returning home on day three we ate at Bottega and got to eat outside. Not as hot on this day and there is a big fan that keeps the air moving. We had another tomato salad which also had peas included in the salad and it was a selection of different heirloom tomatoes and tasted perfect. My favorite thing at Bottega is the white pizza which has fennel sausage and wonderful cheeses on it. We ordered a summer pizza with goat cheese and more tomatoes, and yes there was enough food to bring some home for dinner.

So take a summer day trip to Birmingham and eat at Mr. Stitt’s restaurants. Highlands Bar and Grill is my favorite but it is only open at night so did not make that one.

Recipe taken partly from Frank Stitt’s Southern Table Cookbook.

Fried green tomatoes add unexpected flavor and texture when they are served alongside yellow and red cherry tomatoes.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

3 very firm green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch-thihck slices

¾ cup cornmeal

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dash of cayenne pepper

2 cups peanut oil, corn, or canola oil for frying

12 cups cherry and/or grape tomatoes of different colors and shapes, halved or quartered, depending on size

½ cup cooked field peas

½ cup fresh corn (uncooked)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons mayonnaise such as Hellman’s

Preheat the oven to 200°F.

Lightly beat the egg in a shallow bowl and stir in the buttermilk. Place the tomato slices in the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat them. IN a shallow pan, combine the cornmeal and flour and season with 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and the cayenne, stirring well.

In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat the peanut oil over high heat to 360°F.

Meanwhile, dredge one tomato slice at a time in the cornmeal, turning to coat and gently pressing into the cornmeal so it adheres. Transfer each prepared slice to a rack set over a baking sheet.

Using tongs, carefully ease the breaded tomatoes into the hot oil in batches of about 4 at a time so that the oil does not cool down. Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side until the coating is a nice even golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the fried tomatoes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and put them in the oven to keep warm while you fry the remaining slices.

Put 2 tablespoons of the mayonnaise on the bottom of the plate. Toss the peas, corn, and cherry tomatoes with the olive oil. Put this on top of the mayonnaise. Add the fried green tomatoes on top of this. Enjoy!

 

Easy Summer Salads

I am always looking for cool summer salads and found two in ‘Palate’ that are so delicious. They use crab and shrimp (two of my favorite things) and they are so easy. No grilling required for the shrimp salad since it is done in a cast-iron skillet. The crab salad has to marinate for up to 10 hours, so perfect for easy entertaining.

These salads are very good! There is no excuse not to try them.

From ‘Palate’ June/July 2016.

Alabama West Indies Salad (Don’t know why the Alabama in the name.)

Serves 2

1 medium sweet onion, diced fine

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat (picked over for shells)

Salt and pepper

6 tablespoons soybean oil (I used olive oil)

6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

6 tablespoons ice water

5 mint leaves, chopped

Zest of one lemon

Mix onion, crab, salt, and pepper in mixing bowl.

Add oil, vinegar, and ice water. Marinate for 2 to 10 hours,

Before serving, toss with lemon zest. Serve over mixed greens with citrus segments as a lunch salad or with crackers for an appetizer.

 

From ‘Palate’ June/July 2016

Shrimp, Okra, and Cherry Tomato Salad with Mint Chimichurri Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, tail on

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 ears of corn

8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ small red onion, diced

8 pickled okra, halved

1-2 big handfuls of arugula

Salt and pepper to taste

Chimichurri Vinaigrette:

1 cup fresh mint (not packed)

1 cup parsley leaves (not packed)

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

½ red onion, roughly chopped

1 lime, juiced

½ cup olive oil

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Working in batches, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place enough shrimp in one single layer in the skillet and sear each side until pink, about 3 minutes total. Repeat with remaining shrimp and remaining tablespoon of oil.

Remove from the skillet and set aside to cool. Wipe the skillet clean and place it back over medium-high heat. Sear the corn on all sides until charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet, let cool,  cut corn off the cob.

Place all the vinaigrette ingredients except the oil in a food processor. Pulse a few times until finely chopped. Then, pour into a non-reactive bowl and whisk in the oil. Set aside until ready to use.

In a large serving bowl, gently toss all the salad ingredients together, and serve with the chimichurri vinaigrette on the side. Extra vinaigrette can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and used on poultry or steak.

 

Watermelon Pie for the 4th

Yes it is coming, the fourth of July and summer and grilling is in full swing. I do love to grill some hamburgers and have some good tomatoes and potato salad and all the other fixings. What to do for dessert?

How about watermelon pie? I read about this pie in ‘Garden and Gun’ magazine in the June/July issue and thought what a good idea for the Fourth. This pie came about when Mims Bledsoe was working on her graduate degree in philosophy at the University of Georgia. She drove several times a week from her home in Atlanta to Athens, eight miles away and fantasized about opening a pie shop. In 2011 she opened a pie shop in the Buckhead shopping strip. For her first menu, she developed a watermelon chiffon pie. She knew chiffon pies enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 1950’s and 60’s. But the more popular they became the worst the pies.

Her version rescues the old favorite with pure whipped cream, unflavored gelatin, and fresh summer fruit at its peak

Happy Fourth of July!! And try this pie!

 

Watermelon Chiffon Pie

Makes one 10-inch pie

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tbsp. sugar

¾ cups (1 ½ sticks) cold butter, cubed

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. cold water

½ tsp. white vinegar

 

Filling

2 ¾ cups watermelon puree (from about 6 cups fresh melon)

¾ cups sugar

2 tbsp. unflavored gelatin

2 egg whites

1 cup heavy cream

 

Preparation

Crust

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and pulse again. Combine water and vinegar and add to mix, pulsing until dough is just combined. Keep cold, work quickly, and do not overmix. Divide dough into two equal portions. Keep in plastic wrap. Place one in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight before rolling; freeze the other for another use.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Drape the dough over a rolling pin to transfer to a 10-inch pan, pressing it against the bottom and sides. Trim the dough, prick the bottom and sides with a fork, and crimp the edge. Place a square sheet of parchment paper over the dough and fill with dried beans or pie weights, pressing lightly. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake piecrust for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and continue baking until crust is golden, about 10 minutes more. Let crust cool completely.

 

Filling

Puree watermelon cubes in a blender, working in batches if necessary.

Combine watermelon puree and sugar in a medium saucepan and sprinkle gelatin evenly over the top. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes to allow gelatin to bloom. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking until gelatin is completely dissolves (about 3 to 5 minutes). Remove pan from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain watermelon mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any pulp and return to pan, stirring occasionally to prevent mixture from setting.

Place egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form about 5 minutes). Set aside. Place cream in a separate mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (about 5 to 7 minutes).

Slowly pour watermelon mixture into the whipped cream, a bit at a time, gently stirring to combine. Fold in egg whites, taking care not to overmix.

Spoon or pipe filling into the cooled shell. Refrigerate pie for 2 hours or until firm. Serve with whipped cream.