Cooking green beans and new potatoes: In Judy's Kitchen

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Cooking green beans and new potatoes

On this week’s In Judy’s Kitchen, I try to show Danny Monteverde, the young reporter who wants to learn to cook, how to make green beans and new potatoes.

G. Andrew Boyd/The Times-PicayuneCrime reporter Danny Monteverde is looking to cook from food editor Judy Walker in the web series ‘In Judy’s Kitchen.’

This is a dish I was raised on; I have distinct olfactory memories of exactly how the red potatoes smelled when we dug them up in my parents’ garden. The tinier ones, the size of marbles, were hardest to scrub.

Daddy grew (and still grows) pole beans; I think when I was a child he grew Kentucky Wonders or Blue Lake. The green beans twined up their trellises and always pulled their camouflage trick on me: At first, you think there aren’t any beans, and then you blink and realize dozens are hanging in front of your nose.

As an adult, I learned to adore their skinny French cousins, haricot verts, which now are so convenient to buy in their little microwave-me packages. Even at max time in the microwave, they are crisp when you eat them.

But my true love is a mess of slowly simmered green beans, with pork and potatoes. I could live on this. When I moved South, I discovered green beans have different names: snap beans or string beans.

But the strings of string beans are long gone; most supermarket varieties are free of the strings that once had to be stripped off, ideally while one sat on the porch. These days, all you have to do is cut or snap off the stem end and break the beans in two.

How to cook green beans: In Judy’s Kitchen
In this week’s episode of In Judy’s Kitchen, Times-Picayune Food editor Judy Walker teaches police reporter Danny Monteverde how to cook up a pot of green beans.
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And while we’re on bean names: You know what shelly beans are, right? This is a Midwestern term, I believe. It’s the mature seed inside the green bean, shelled out and cooked with the green pod. Bush Brothers cans them as “Cut Green and Shelly Beans,” and the Libby’s canned version is labeled, simply, “Shellie Beans.” But they’re hard to find.

The recipe that follows is not the one I showed Danny; it was pork-free and much more basic. This one is old-school. You can use any type of seasoning pork. If you have one, a ham bone is an excellent addition.

And if you have to stay away from the sodium and the pork, try making it with a smoked turkey leg.

Old-School Green Beans and New Potatoes

Makes 8 to 10 servings .

3 pounds fresh green beans

1/2 pound good bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces

2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

12 small red potatoes, scrubbed

1 onion, cut in slivers

Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Remove both ends, and any strings, from the beans. Snap the beans in half. Wash and drain.

In a large cast iron Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring often, until mostly done. Remove half the bacon and bacon grease; reserve the bacon but discard the grease. Add green beans to the pot and stir well. Add broth and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, covered, until the beans are half done, about half an hour.

While the beans are cooking, peel a center strip from each new potato with a potato peeler (it makes them look fancier). At the end of 30 minutes, add the potatoes and onion to the beans; add 1/4 cup more broth, if needed. Cook, covered tightly, until potatoes are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Check the pot often to make sure a small amount of liquid remains.

When the potatoes are tender, tilt the lid slightly, off to the side of the pot, and continue to cook until the green beans are completely wilted, about 15 minutes. Add the rest of the bacon. Season generously with pepper.

Serve with butter for the potatoes.

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Also high on my preferences list is the exact opposite type of recipe: A fresh green bean salad. This one is from the darling Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.

French String Bean Salad

Makes 6 servings .

Kosher salt

1-1/2 pounds French string beans, both ends trimmed

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the beans and cook for 1 minute only. You want the beans to be crisp-tender. Drain the beans and put them in the ice water until completely cool. Drain the beans again, dry on paper towels, and place them in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion.

Pour enough dressing over the beans to moisten them well, reserving the rest for another use. Toss with the dill, season to taste, and serve at room temperature. (If the beans aren’t served immediately, refrigerate them and add a little extra vinaigrette and a sprinkle of salt before serving.)

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Fresh green beans are good roasted in the oven, although haricot verts shrink up into almost nothing. Use a bigger bean.

This recipe is from “The Gardener The Grill,” new this season from Judith Fertig and Karen Adler, aka the Barbecue Queens. Since lemon verbena has completely overtaken one of my flower beds, I’m making this soon. And, yes, of course you can use regular basil pesto instead of this version.

Charred Green Beans with Lemon Verbena Pesto

Makes 2 to 4 servings

1-1/2 pounds slender green beans

2 teaspoons olive oil

Lemon Verbena Pesto

1 cup fresh lemon verbena leaves (substitute fresh lemon balm leaves)

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts

1/2 cup olive oil

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepare a hot fire in your grill. Toss beans with olive oil and place in a perforated grill basket or a wok set on a baking sheet.

Make the pesto: Combine lemon verbena, garlic, cheese and nuts in a food processor and pulse to puree. Slowly add olive oil with the processor running until the mixture thickens and emulsifies, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The pesto will keep in the refrigerator 7 to 10 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Place grill wok or basket directly over the fire, and stir-grill, tossing the beans with a spatula until crisp-tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with about 1/4 cup of the pesto, or to taste.

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Check out the archive of Times-Picayune recipes at nola.com/food.

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