Green Beans and Tomatoes
You can make this as a side any time of the year, but doing it during the summer during the peak of tomato season will really make you appreciate it. Once tomatoes are out of season, I’ll usually go for canned whole San Marzano tomatoes. I’m also a fan of Muir Glenn tomatoes if you don’t want or can’t find San Marzanos. I like them whole because it gives you the options to dice them up to your desired size, and you also get a good amount of sauce liquid at the bottom of the can. A simple shallot white wine sauce really helps elevate this dish to something a little different. There is already a higher level of acid from the wine, so a bit of sweetness helps balance things out. Some tomatoes have a sweeter profile to them, so you can try experimenting with what you find at the market. Even though this is going into my ‘steakhouse sides’ series, it goes great with pork, chicken, steak or fish. You can't really go wrong. If you can make your own chicken stock, it'll make a nice difference that you usually can't get from stock-in-a-box. You can find that here.
Ingredients
3 heirloom tomatoes (or good canned tomatoes if they’re out of season)
1lbs Blue Lake Green Beans (local, fresh green beans)
3 large shallots
1/3 yellow onion
1/3 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc)
6oz chicken stock
Kosher Salt
Pepper
1tbsp Champagne Vinegar (or to taste)
pinch of sugar (optional to get some sweetness to balance out the acid)
2tbsp Cooking Oil (canola or avocado)
Prep
Wash the green beans
Snap or cut the tough root end off
Slice long beans into 2 inch bite sized pieces
Peel and dice the shallots
Rough chop the tomatoes
Cooking Directions
Heat your cooking oil in the pan over medium-high heat until shimmering
Add shallots and onions to the pan and sauté until translucent, 3-4 minutes
Add the white wine to deglaze
Reduce wine by 1/3, 2-3 minutes
Lower the heat to medium
Add the tomatoes, cover with a lid and cook until broken down. 5-7 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and stir to combine
Add the green beans and a good pinch of salt
Toss to combine
Put the lid back on the pan and cook covered for 7-9 minutes or until green beans are cooked though and offer very little resistance when pierced with a knife.
Add the Champagne vinegar (more to taste if needed)
Adjust seasonings