Here in Paris the autumn harvest of beans is in the markets now. Well, maybe they’ve been around for a while, but at any rate, I’ve just noticed them.
I’ve been hungry for something comforting, but also green (but not the chicken stock that I left in the fridge during the four weeks I was gone to the States). A fresh Caesar salad with chicken will only go so far, in my opinion. Fortunately my little open air market arrives twice a week a block away so it was easy to poke around and see what was available.
Those famous French green beans – or haricot vert (air-ee-ko vair) – are in abundance, of course. Long, thin and delicious. All sizes, too. We can get them all year round thanks to the many countries that grow and ship these wonderful treats. Just in my market alone, I see these string beans (or snap beans) coming from Kenya, Spain and Morocco, as well as the gardens around Paris. They are also called mange-tout (mahnjz too), French for “eat all” because one can eat everything; pod and bean.
Sitting next to these pods are the colorful borlotti beans, yellow butter beans (haricots beurre), haricot d’Ecosse and some I have no clue what they are. Most need to have the beans separated from the pods. They are all tasty and filled with lots of low-fat protein. But of course the French love to gussy up these mange-tout treasures, still letting the flavor come through.
Below is a fairly simple recipe I’ve adapted from one of my favorite restaurants. Served cold, it can be used as an entrée. Last time I made this I tossed the blanched beans in a light mix of olive oil and lemon juice and let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours. It added a nice little zing, but just the plain beans are fine.
Any size green beans will work, but if you want to strike the right Parisian attitude, use the thinnest beans you can find, open a slightly chilled white Burgundy and pretend to catch the waiter’s eye as he tries to ignore you while he smokes a cigarette outside.
Now THAT’S real Paris eating.
Haricot vert with bacon and Parmesan–garlic sauce
4-5 cups of French green beans, ends trimmed 1 cup of bacon, sliced into small pieces
For the Sauce
1 garlic clove, puréed *(see below) 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 healthy teaspoon Dijon mustard ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Juice of 1/2 lemon Salt and pepper to taste
Blanche beans in salted boiling water for a minute or two. I like them a little crunchy myself, but you may want them softer. Drain them and set aside. You can toss them in a little olive oil and lemon juice now if you wish.
Make the sauce: Put the puréed garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and cheese in a mini chopper or processor. Whiz it up. It should be thick but smooth. Check seasonings, add salt and pepper if needed (the garlic will have salt so be cautious!) Set sauce aside.
Sauté the pieces of bacon in a small frying pan until cooked but not crisp. Drain on paper towel.
To assemble: Take a tablespoon of sauce and spread in the center of each small plate. Mound a couple tablespoons of the cooked green beans on top of the sauce. Sprinkle the bacon on top. Finish with a little curl of fresh Parmesan cheese.
*To purée garlic: I first crush the garlic clove on a small cutting board with a wide, sharp knife and chop the garlic fine. I add a pinch or two of salt and then, holding the knife so that the blade is flat on the garlic, I begin to mash it, using a circular motion, almost rubbing it into the cutting board. I scrape the garlic up with the knife blade, mound it back onto the cutting board and begin to mash it again. The salt releases the garlic juices and smooths it out. It will be almost a paste. When cooking with this purée, remember that there is salt so be cautious when adjusting any seasonings.
Doug
Cushman is a former Redding artist and author who now lives and works in Paris. He was born in Springfield,Ohio,and moved to Connecticut with his family at the age of 15. In high school he created comic books lampooning his teachers, selling them to his classmates for a nickel apiece. Since 1978, he has illustrated and/or written more than 100 books for children and collected a number of honors, including a Reuben Award for Book Illustration from the National Cartoonists Society, New York Times Children’s Books Best Sellers, and the New York Public Library’s Best 100 Books of 2000. He enjoys hiking, kayaking and cooking (and eating!). Learn more at his website, doug-cushman.com
