When I was a child my Mom worked in the restaurant business. At various times and often simultaneously, her roles included, waitress, hostess, menu editor and restaurant manager. Although she was always home when I woke up in the morning, by the time I returned from school she had already logged a lunch shift and was preparing for the dinner rush at the restaurant. She would not return home until late in the evening.
This was not a hardship for me or my siblings thanks to my Grandmother who “minded” us. (Grandma’s term for babysitting.)
Although I imagine it was hard for her to carry the responsibility of caring for her young grandchildren on a daily basis, for me it was a wonderful experience and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to develop a close relationship with her.
Grandma’s duties generally included preparing and sharing dinner with us and one of her dishes that I really enjoyed was String Beans and Potatoes. This dish, which I later learned to be of the cucina povera style, translated as “Italian Peasant Food”, was sort of a hearty stew with a clear broth flavored of garlic and onions and, of course, string beans and potatoes.
Chef Hacking – Making Good Even Better
I love this vegan dish and over the years I have shared it with friends and family at least 8 or 9 times and the result was always the same – universal appreciation. I described it for a colleague once, years ago and another employee overheard and later told me that his mother would make it for him when he was a child and she often made it “red” by adding tomato. I picked up that hack along with adding diced celery since it is a favorite taste in our house and now that is generally how I make it.
This dish is simple, healthy and quickly made ready, so give it a try. In fact try it both “red” and then, next time you make it, leave out the tomato and celery for the more traditional “white” version and let us know which you prefer. I love them both! Or, even better, hack it for yourself and let us know what you come up with!
String Beans and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 Cup Fresh Green Beans Trimmed and cut to about 2 inch length
- 2 Cup Eastern Potatoes I like to use unpeeled red potatoes
- 1 Cup Diced Tomatoes Canned or fresh both work well
- 2 Tbsp Coursely Chopped Garlic
- ½ Cup Sliced Onions
- ½ Cup Diced Celery
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil I generally use extra virgin olive oil
- 1-3 Each Bay Leaves 1 if it is large or 2-3 if they are small leaves
- ¼ Tsp Parsley
- ¼ Tsp Basil
- ¼ Tsp Oregano
- ¼ Tsp Rosemary
- ¼ Tsp Thyme
- ¼ Tsp Mint
- Several Flakes Dried Red Pepper
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
Mis En Place
- Remove ends from the beans and cut beans to about 2 inches in length.
- Wash potatoes and cut into 1-½“ cubes. (Remove skins first if you prefer)
- Peel and coarsely chop the garlic.
- Peel and slice the onion.
- Wash and dice the celery.
Preparation
- Saute garlic in olive oil until slightly browned.
- Add onion and celery and saute for a few minutes.
- Add green beans and saute for an additional minute or two.
- Add the bay leaves and the other seasonings, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let this mixture “sweat” for 30-45 seconds to expand the flavor of the spices in the oil.
- Stir in the tomatoes and bring the mixture to boil.
- Add the potatoes and enough water to almost cover the potatoes (if needed) and return to boil then simmer until potatoes are tender.
- Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed and serve.