This is a traditional summer dish form the Côte d’Azur.
I was born in Sanremo, which is only about 20 miles away form the French border. Traditions and Cusine blended back and forth in the area between French and Italy. Fagiolini was also my nonna’s (grandma) favorite vegetable, and she prepared it almost every day, just boiled al dente with lots of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
The trick to good green beans is to pick them when they are still young and tender. ideally they should be all the same size so they will cook evenly.
Do not forget to clean them before cooking by pinching of the ends and pulling the string if there is one. ( That was mostly my job as a kid!!)
Fagiolini Niçoise: A celebration of summer flavors!
Author: Vivica Menegaz
A classic summer dish form the south of France! The trick to good green beans is to pick them when they are still young and tender. ideally they should be all the same size so they will cook evenly. Do not forget to clean them before cooking by pinching of the ends and pulling the string if there is one.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of organic green beans, best form your own garden!
- ½ pound organic cherry tomatoes, same as above!
- 1 cup salt cured black olives. ( I used our semi-local Granzella's)
- ¼ cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used Berkeley Olive Grove's
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- First take off tips and strings form the green beans.
- In the meantime boil water in a pot large enough to fit the green beans comfortably.
- Add few good pinches of coarse sea salt to water.
- Add beans when water is boiling.
- In the meantime prepare and ice bath in a large bowl with ice and water.
- When the green beans will be cooked "al dente", about 7-8 min. remove form boiling water with thongs and toss immediately into the ice bath. This will keep them crunchy and vibrantly green.
- Wash cherry tomatoes and cut in half.
- Add dried green beans, tomatoes and olives to a serving bowl.
- Toss with olive oil and salt.
- WARNING: Granzella's olives have pits!
