String Beans, Fresh Peas, Etc.
String beans and peas may be quite different, but they're both true vegetables that act as side dishes, unlike their relatives in the legume family, which often take on a primary role in a course (think of tuna and beans in summer, for example), and were once staple foods of the poor.
Elisabetta's Quick String Bean Salad
I have said before that Elisabetta and I cook quite differently; I tend to follow recipes, whereas she opens the fridge and improvises. Leftover string beans led to a very tasty salad with pears, cashew nuts, cheese and more.
Fava Beans with Sundried Tomatoes, White Wine and Thyme
I have been waiting for this moment for a while now but at last I have found the first fresh fava beans in the shops! I can get frozen ones and even if they are quite ok, it’s not the same. I like the feeling of opening up the pods and feel the furry inside when I pop out the beans…
Peas with Prosciutto -- Piselli al Prosciutto
Peas with Prosciutto, or Piselli al Prosciutto: Peas with prosciutto are a quintessential summer dish. They're also very easy to make, though the peas do have to be top quality, or the results will be disappointing.
String Bean and Tuna Salad -- Fagiolini e Tonno in Insalata
String Bean and Tuna Salad, or Fagiolini e Tonno in Insalata: This is a refreshing summer salad from Lazio. Perfect on a hot summer day!
String Bean Salad -- Fagiolini in Insalata
String Bean Salad, or Fagiolini in Insalata: This is a refreshingly cool summer dish from Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Corallo String Beans, Barely Cooked -- Facioletti a Corallo, Cotti a Crudo
Corallo String Beans, Barely Cooked, or Facioletti a Corallo, Cotti a Crudo: The Romans add wine to their blanched string beans, which provides an unusual touch, and red pepper to give them zing as well. "There have always been string beans of every kind in Rome," says Livio Jannattoni in La Cucina Romana e del Lazio -- "both the long, thin tender varieties, and those that have broadened and contain embryonic beans, and are called 'a corallo.'"
String Beans Genovese Style -- Fagiolini alla Genovese
String Beans Genovese Style, or Fagiolini alla Genovese: This is a classic and tasty recipe from Liguria, one of the most profoundly vegetarian regions of Italy.
Imaginative String Beans -- Fagiulini Spilusieddi
Imaginative String Beans, or Fagiulini Spilusieddi: These are actually a variation on blanched string beans, but will be tasty nonetheless. The recipe is Puglian, and will serve 6.
Fried String Beans -- Fagiolini Fritti
Fried String Beans, or Fagiolini Fritti: This is an old Neapolitan recipe, a quick, tasty antipasto that will also work nicely as part of a fritto misto. Cavalcanti says to season the fried string beans with a sweet and sour sauce, which, he adds, will go well with other fried foods as well. This is a 19th century seasoning, and now many people would possibly omit the sweet and sour, preferring to go with just salt to season their fried string beans. You can choose according to your preference.
Stewed Green Beans -- Fagiolini in Umido
Fagiolini in Umido, or Stewed Green Beans: As a side dish this Lombard specialty from the Brianza region, not far from Milano, is quite hearty and will work well with a roast or a stew. In the past those who couldn't afford to eat meat on a daily basis (the majority of the population) would also have served it with polenta, as a main course.
Fagiolini
String beans are one of the harbringers of summer, a delightful announcement that winter is past. Notes on selecting and preparing them, and lots of recipes.
Lemon-Walnut Green Beans
Simple, tasty beans from Peggy Towbridge, About's Home Cooking Guide