A white bowl filled with green beans on a table
My mother loved serving this delicious salad of tender green beans, olive oil, vinegar & tons of fresh mint. She used to add a small amount of breadcrumbs to the dressing which helped the vinaigrette stick onto the green beans.
A great childhood memory!
A close up of a plant with green leaves and yellow beans

Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Green Beans

It's simple to purchase a variety of fresh beans and peas at local markets. I look forward to growing my own, especially some of the more difficult types to find such as roma and fava beans.

Homegrown or farmer's market beans are noticeably fresher and more flavorful so I simply boil & serve with butter.


Prep Time: 2o min to assemble 

Cooking Time: 30 min to marinate

Yield: 4 portions


Ingredients      

1 lb.           Green beans, stem end snipped off                                     

6  oz.        Olive oil                                                                                         

1 oz.          Garlic, sliced thinly   

1/2 tsp     Kosher Salt                                       

t.t.             Black pepper 

                  

How to prepare Beans, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap peas

A bag of peas is sitting on a counter next to a cutting board.
Green beans are boiling in a pot of water on a stove.

Step 1   Cooking the beans or beans

Using a paring knife, peel the ends of the beans/peas on each side. There is a 'string' you cut into and gently pull from one end to the other. Discard the strings.

If you're cleaning peas or fava beans, the pea/bean is inside the pod and you need to split the pod and scoop out the peas.






You can simply cook the beans or peas from the raws state or blanch in salted, boiling water, when the beans are tender (about 2-6 minutes), shock in ice water and drain. Reserve. 

A close up of a plate of green peas on a table.

Step 2

Sweat shallots, garlic, ginger, scallions etc... (your favorite aromatics) to develop flavor, add the raw or blanched beans/ peas and season with salt and pepper.

I like soy sauce, sesame oil etc... as well.


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