FRENCH BEANS & VINAIGRETTE

My beans are finished now. It’s the heat and no amount of watering is satisfying their needs. But oh well, it has been a glorious season! Before I put the whole bean thing away until next spring, I feel a need to document some ideas and observations. The beans I grew this year were “Jade Green Bush Beans” obtained from John Scheepers. Scheepers has by far the best seeds I have ever used and the greatest number of hard to find varieties. It’s just a joy to hold their catalogue in your hands. Find details to order a catalogue at the end of blog.

We ate these Jade Green beans so many ways and they are superb. Even though this variety is not one of the official “French beans” (more later), one would never know. They needed picking almost every day and I am sure that if this heat wave would have abated, there would be fresh beans still.

I steamed them, boiled them, featured them in stir fries and so on but what I want to talk about is beans with a French twist, used as a cold vegetable (slightly cooked) served as a perfect summer salad or even as an entrée.
Before going on, a quick aside about cooking methods though: I picked up a book about Julia Child of which I own everyone ever written, about her or by her, as does anyone else who is mad for French food. Anything about her makes for a fascinating read in my opinion. Mentioning opinions, she certainly had them! One that applies here: she maintained that the proper way (and only way) to cook vegetables for optimum taste is in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Forget the steaming scene. That sounded so outrageous that I had to try it. Julia says that the beans (in this case) taste so much better cooked in salted water that you will eat so many more of them and therefore consume more vitamins than if you were sticking to the bland steamed version. They were very good! But you must try yourself! Of course, butter, butter, butter melted over in Julia’s style.

Back to beans and vinaigrette: there are so many ways of serving french beans--- cooked with new potatoes, simply on their own, mix green and yellow beans, or feature them marinated in a major salad such as a Nicoise…..sky’s the limit.

To begin, there are a few rules of thumb: whatever method you use, don’t overcook the beans---tender crisp is enough. Drain the beans well and add the vinaigrette while they are still hot. Another basic fact is that when making any vinaigrette the rule is 3 to 1. 3 parts oil to 1 part acidic….mainly vinegar or lemon juice.

We all talk about a classic French vinaigrette, but what exactly is it? This again, is a matter of taste and the following recipes are the ones I’ve adjusted to my taste. So you can certainly take liberties as well. Adjust to a larger amount if you have a lot of beans.

Basic vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
6 Tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Salt / Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove of fresh garlic, smashed – this is definitely my addition and is optional, but so good!
……..whisk as you add each ingredient; the dressing will thicken quite nicely.

This is also very nice with the addition of fresh chopped herbs, even if it’s only parsley, mint or basil. Add to warm beans, they will absorb it quickly.

Ready for a topping! 

Sort of Caesar Salad Dressing……great on steamed beans
1 clove of fresh garlic, smashed, half a clove if you’re not crazy about garlic
4-5 anchovy fillets (drain off oil)
2-3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is great if you have it)
2 Tablespoons sour cream
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
6 Tablespoons EV Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Big pinch of sugar or to taste
Place everything in a processor. Pulse until pulpy and more or less smooth. Do not process to the puree stage. Of course, use this on any salad, but it is wonderful over a big bowl of fresh French beans

Creamy Vinaigrette
Use the basic rule of 3 parts oil to 1 part acidic option. Add natural unflavored yogurt. (Greek is the best) 2 teaspoons should be enough unless you have a lot of beans. Pinch of salt and pepper to season and whisk until smooth. It’s always permissible to add a pinch of sugar. This vinaigrette can handle any sort of fresh herb you might want to add…..dill, rosemary, parsley, even mint.

Have fun with this and experiment on your own. Almost any summer vegetable served with good vinaigrette is a real treat.

Here are some notes which are copied from the John Scheeper’s Kitchen Garden catalogue, just in case you might want to try your hand at French beans in the future.

"Beans are the mainstay of the kitchen garden: both easy and rewarding. Store-bought can’t compare with home-grown beans; modest toil and small bean patches yield large returns. To satisfy zee French in you, four are haricots verts or ultra-slim ‘filet’ types, difficult to find at the market and coveted by chefs everywhere. Pick french types when they are scandalously thin. Don’t wait until seeds form in their tender pods because by then, the sweetness is compromised.

#1200 Nickel Baby Filet Bush Beans:
Imagine a platter of perfect baby filet beans, lightly steamed, gleaming bright green, glistening with a touch of the finest olive oil! This is the Nickel haricot vert, originating in France. This filet reliably produces lots of incredibly straight, uniform baby beans, approximately 1/4" in diameter, with no strings attached! Harvest at 4” when the taste is indescribably delicate and the texture? “Incroyable!”

#1210 Soleil Baby Filet Bush Beans: 57-62 days
Your kitchen garden color palette is sure to be complimented by these lovely golden filet beans. Soleil is French for sun and if you like wax beans, you will love these. Pale yellow, uniform and straight, Soleil is a baby filet bean with the subtle, buttery flavor of wax beans and yields a concentrated harvest to grace your summer table. Babysit filet beans carefully, harvesting at about 4” long, between 1/6” and 1/4” in diameter right before eating for a taste of heaven on your plate. Serve with a light sprinkle of chopped fresh chervil to bring out Soleil’s sweetness

#1230 Roc d'Or Bush Beans: 55-60 days
We love beans from France - the French do great breeding work when it comes to their favorite vegetable. We chose Roc d’Or because it surpasses other wax varieties in production, appearance and flavor. Roc d’Or is a continuous yielder of slim, round golden-yellow beans. It is excellent for fresh eating, canning or freezing.

#1280 Vernandon Filet Bush Beans: 50-60 days
Filet beans are a gourmet gardener’s dream come true and Vernandon is an authentic haricot vert, coming to us from a private breeder in France. Vernandon produces heavily on disease-resistant plants, yielding a bounty of thin filets with an exceptional uniformity, ‘meaty’ texture and delicate, rich flavor. Harvest using scissors or kitchen snips, between 1/6” and 1/4” wide and about 6” long. No bigger! Filet beans like this are nearly impossible to buy at the market. These elegant beans are so very delicious. We like them best lightly steamed and served simply with butter and a little sprinkle of salt."

To obtain a catalogue:
John Scheepers; 23 Tulip Drive PO Box 638 Bantam, Connecticut 06750
Phone: 860-567-6086 Fax: 860-567-5323     www.kitchengardenseeds.com.