One of my favorite times of summer is when the yellow broad beans start showing up at the farmers market and in the garden. It also happens to be around the time that onions are big enough to pick and tomatoes really get rolling. So this dish is a good way to cook straight from the garden especially with vegetables who’s bounty seems to be never ending. Yellow broad beans are dense and sweet and are great to add to soups stir-fry’s and salads. My favorite way is to cook them is with their fellow seasonal vegetables.
This recipe works served hot or cold as a side dish, starter or as a crustini topper to have with your summers favorite summer white or rose wine.
For every generous hand full of beans plan for one medium sized tomato, 1/2 a small white onion and a clove of garlic.
Medium dice the tomatoes, small dice the onion and rough chop the garlic.
You will also need coarse ground pepper, salt, and olive oil
For the sauce:
Heat a cast iron pan or stainless steel pan with two tablespoons of olive oil until it begins smoking you want it to be as hot as possible without smoking yourself out.
When the pan is ready add all the ingredients and stir vigorously for a minute so nothing sticks or burns. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
The beans:
Tip your beans (aka: take the vine end off) and bring a pot of water to a boil, add enough salt so the water is salty like the sea. Blanch the beans for three minutes in rolling boiling water or adjust the time depending on size, they should be soft but still have a little bite to them. If the beans are large and you want them in smaller pieces make sure to cut them after they are blanched. Have an ice bath ready if you intend to serve this dish cold. If you will be serving it hot, when the beans are blanched you can toss them directly into the tomato sauce season and serve.
