Michael Ronis with Mary Goodbody | Carmine’s Family Style Cookbook | St. Martin’s Press, 2008 | Serves 4
Because we are committed to the spirit of Italian American home cooking, what some people call “grandmother’s cooking,” we cook these vegetables together until they are soft and yielding and their flavors become one. Cooking vegetables to this degree may not be stylish in today’s culinary world, but for side dishes such as this, it’s the only way to go. This does not mean the veggies are overcooked—far from it. They are stewed just until the dish is warm, enticing, and delicious.—Michael Ronis
Also from Michael: Rustic Lentil Soup
convert Ingredients
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup diced red onions
1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
8 to 10 fresh oregano leaves
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Place the potatoes in a medium-sized pot, add enough lightly salted cold water to cover them by 2 inches, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until they are just tender. Drain them in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Set them aside.
2. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, blanch the green beans for about 5 minutes or until they are tender. Drain them and immediately submerge them in cold water. Drain them again and set them aside.
3. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook them, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Take care not to let the garlic burn.
4. Add the green beans, tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaf. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. Mix them well and simmer them for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and mix them in well. Simmer the vegetables for 5 minutes, or until the green beans are very tender and the dish is heated through. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and serve.
Recipe © 2008 Carmine’s Broadway Feast Corporation. All rights reserved.
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[Terri Rimmer] This is a simple and delicious dish. It’s a great way to serve vegetables. Potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, and garlic are as simple as you can get. It tastes fresh and much lighter than you might think.
[Robyn Rice-Foster] This was very good and easy to make, and it’s a definite winner that can be prepared at any time with no fuss. I had all the ingredients on hand, including the fresh green beans. I made this after a long day at work, and it took me less than an hour to cook. I served it with some nice warm Italian bread and white wine while I snuggled up in front of the television.
[Marilyn Canna] Terrific comfort food for a cold evening. The onion and garlic aromatics brought out the sweet-tartness of the canned tomatoes while the olive oil, potatoes, and fresh oregano smoothed out any remaining harsh edges. I wonder how fresh tomatoes would taste with green beans next summer?
[Elsa Jacobson] “Delicious,” said my Italian friend Stefano. “Delicious,” he said, as he took his second forkful. And delicious, it was: simple to prepare, beautiful to present, and wonderful to eat. As described in the recipe’s introduction, the vegetables are cooked until, “their flavors become one.” And so it happened, four vegetables in four easy steps came together as one attractive side dish; one we added immediately to our repertoire, and not just for Italian meals. This worked well in its first meal as a side dish to a black bean–butternut squash and Swiss chard chili. then it worked equally well the next week in a more traditional Italian menu, as a side dish to a pasta entrée, heavy with salty black olives and a crusty loaf of bread, perfect for mopping up the juices after the last of the vegetables were gone.
[Nathan Sebert] A very good side dish. I’m always glad to see a dish that actual calls for the vegetables to be cooked through. I’d recommend this to anyone and thought it’d make an excellent weekday meal with the addition of some good quality canned tuna.
[Krista Winjum] This is a warm, homey dish. I was skeptical about cooking it so much, but the flavors melded nicely, and it was delicious. It’s a great side dish for a simple piece of fish or meat.