Well, they had thawed out by the time I actually started cooking.
It’s been cold. Winter is here, and temperatures have been unseasonably lower than usual, just 1 degree F. when I woke up yesterday, certainly more frigid than recent years in early December.
Time to go to the fair
So, what do hearty Vermonters do when the thermometer climbs to 28 degrees? We bundle up and go to an outdoor holiday arts and crafts fair!
Treasures
Don’t worry, they had a couple of wood fire pits going to warm the hands. Good thing, when attempting to retrieve some cash from my purse, my fingers got just a bit numb, or a lot numb, when I took off my gloves. But my daughter, granddaughter, and I braved the elements and found some treasures for this year’s gift giving. I can’t tell though, just in case someone is reading this! The mulled wine also helped the freezing fingers!
Little treats
I did purchase some beautiful note cards from a brilliant artist friend of my daughter’s, red poppies and cardinals, and some handmade soaps for the bathrooms over the holidays. The lilac bar actually smells like lilacs, which is hard to achieve.
Warming up
After the fair, we took our frozen bodies to Philo Ridge farm here in town and warmed up with hot drinks and a little more shopping. A great day all around.
I’ll think about that later
But when I got home, I was tired out, keeping warm does that to one, and didn’t feel like cooking much for supper, so I lit a fire, made some tea, and figured I would think about it later. I’ll confess here I may have dozed off just a little.
The tomato pecking order
When later came, I decided on a simple seared fish and one of my favorite easy dishes – green beans with tomatoes and garlic. You can use any type of tomato you like here, fresh from the garden – not likely right now – organic cherries from afar, as I have used, or even a small can of diced. Tomatoes at the market are pretty dismal looking right about now, so I opted for the fairly nice-looking cherries.
The flavor bombs
Lots of garlic please! And lots of anchovies add the special little flavor boost. However, you can leave them out if you want to make it vegetarian. I love this all by itself for lunch sometimes, definitely a favorite.
To French or not to French
The green beans were rather large, so I decided to run my knife through them vertically, not a complete French cut, but just enough to reduce their size and add some visual interest and change their texture. This did not save me time, but I remember how much I loved my mom’s Frenched green beans. She had a funny little contraption she ran them through and I remember was fun to play with. I wonder what happened to it?
And now, the green bean pecking order
If the fresh green beans are looking rather sad, you can substitute frozen, just don’t use canned or they will be too mushy. There’s a fine line when cooking green beans. Several times, I’ve been served ‘crisp tender’ green beans at restaurants and they were more what I would call crisp raw and quite unpleasant. I could even hear a crunch. I don’t want my green beans to taste like they belong on a crudité platter, there’s not enough flavor of the beans, but neither do I want them mushy. Am I picky? I guess so!
Balsamic drizzle
The last drizzle of balsamic really brightens it all up. I used my best aged, just a touch. You don’t have to spend a fortune if you want a lovely balsamic glaze, just take a cup of balsamic vinegar, warm it gently over low heat, check it now and then, and let it reduce to a thick syrup. As it thickens, the flavor concentrates. It can be used sparingly on just about anything.
Whether or not you are in the mood to cook
Quick to put together, this whole dish cooks itself while the fish sears, definitely a flavorful delight when you don’t really feel like cooking, or even if you do and simply want something tasty.
Green beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Anchovies
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 can anchovies and their oil
- 1 lb. fresh or frozen green beans, whole or Frenched
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- Parmesan and balsamic vinegar to garnish
Warm the olive oil and add the garlic. Let this cook a minute or two until fragrant and add the anchovies, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. They will melt away. Add the beans and tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and a splash of water.
Cover and let this simmer for five to ten minutes, depending on the size of the beans, or until the beans are tender and tomatoes softened.
Plate and adorn with Parmesan or vegan Parmesan shavings and a drizzle of your best balsamic, you don’t need much.
What fire could ever equal the sunshine of a winter’s day?
~ Henry David Thoreau
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Lovely salad, but without fish or meat for me, Dorothy.
Joanna
Easily done!
I’m with Gabychops, but as you noted: easily done.
Wonderful pictures, and how brave you all were to brave the cold. Glad to read you found some treasures.
Yes, there were lots of wonderful things to find, and we did so quickly thanks to the temperatures!
Green beans and tomatoes go so well together. It certainly looks really cold in Vermont.
We’re used to it! I think we’ve been hanging out with the dogs too long!
Quite possibly Dorothy
Beautiful love!
Thank you!
We have been wicked cold down here, but I will readily admit we haven’t hit 1 yet. 5 is in the forecast, and that’s plenty cold. We’re breaking records for cold. It looks like you had a three generation day and plenty of smiles to go around. I can’t imagine a better way to spend a cold day but with those two ladies.
Thanks Judy, it was one of those perfect days and the cold only made for good conversation!
And I thought we were having a cold spell! Brrrr, you are a brave soul to go out in such cold weather. Sometimes a simple meal warms the heart!
That it does Jan! Flannel lined pants, heavy boots, warm jacket, layers underneath, all was good!
The beans and tomatoes look wonderful! I enjoyed the story of your day in the outdoors-sounds like one of those Christmas movies where they visit an outdoor Christmas market! Too bad we do not have them here.
The best part was the mulled wine!
What a nice sounding day! Well, except for the bitter cold.
Thank you, it was a fine day with the best company in the world.
Looks delicious. Such a fresh take on green beans. 🙂
Thanks Ronit! It’s one of my favorites!
So cozy! Winter joy all around.
Yes, and it’s snowing again!
A good recipe for the end of a wonderful day with family. I think I would love winter in Vermont!
It can be pretty magical I have to admit!
Bean lover I am and this bean dish looks great. You had a lovely day out even though it was really cold. Lovely dinner for the night that you didn’t feel like cooking!! :))
No time at all, and we were well fed Mary!
Haven’t eaten beans in a good while, Dorothy. Now on my shopping list… plus anchovies! What a fabulous day you had, and the company look adorable.
Thank you Carolyn! it was indeed a most enjoyable day!
Sounds festive! 📯🎄🥁🎶
It was pretty, suitable for company!
Three generations making magic and memories in the winter is the best! And eating well too!
Thank you! The mulled wine at the market wasn’t half bad as well!
What a lovely day, even if ridiculously cold! It was great seeing your photos.
Merci chère amie! It was a lovely time with my girls.
Oh dear. That is cold! Those are beautiful green beans!
Thank you Mimi. They tasted great, and were wonderful for lunch the next day.
Love a good green bean & tomato combo! Looks cold but beautiful 🙂
That’s Vermont in winter! Cold but beautiful!
This is making me hungry! I was reading along your description of the dish, but wasn’t quite prepared for how pretty it was going to be!
What did your mother’s green bean instrument look like? There’s a gal on Instagram who is always showing vintage kitchen items for followers to guess their purpose, and I’ll bet this one would fit the bill. Haha
Thanks darlin’!
The funny little contraption had this little opening in the top and you stuffed a few beans in and turned a handle and out popped perfectly Frenched beans! She’d loved those contraptions!!!!
I’ll have to check out the flea markets.
Someone once told me that I should just embrace winter, and go out and enjoy it. It sounds like Vermonters know how to embrace winter. The outdoors arts and crafts fair sounds lovely.
They are everywhere right now! Although we do hope for a day that is above freezing. If not, mulled wine to the rescue!
Henry David Thoreau is my favorite he has such a way with words <3
He’s one of the best!
I love anchovies but haven’t thought about cooking them. Thank you for this suggestion. Your dish looks yummy, Dorothy.
They are great with all kinds of vegetables!
I had never heard before that this way of cutting beans is called frenched and I can’t remember having them in France in restaurants, but it’s 30-40 years ago that I was in French restaurants a lot so I could simply have forgotten. Green beans with tomatoes is also an Italian favorite, but I don’t make it very often.
Greatings from 80-90 degree Thailand 😎
Oh man Stefan, it was 10 degrees here this morning!
I was curious and could only find a couple of articles about how the French cut got its name. This from kitchenknowhow.com “Since green beans were so popular in French cuisine by the 1800s, the fancy julienne slicing technique became associated with French style cooking. Using fresh haricot vert beans, French chefs would carefully slice the veggies into delicate slivers to serve in upscale restaurants. This labor-intensive cutting method was considered very refined and exemplified French culinary finesse. The name “French cut green beans” stuck, even though many other cuisines also use this style of slicing green beans.”
Mom just used her funny little contraption!
In the Netherlands we use large flat broad beans, also known as runner beans, to be sliced at an angle with a contraption. But not regular green beans.
Interesting! My mom’s little device would come in handy!
What a lovely day, cold but lovely ☺️ I love the green beans like this 😋
Thanks Ribana! They reminded me of my mom’s cooking, so how could I go wrong?
Sounds like a great side dish–you can’t go wrong with green beans and tomatoes! 🙂
I’ve made this many times, and it’s not only quick, but goes with a lot of other dishes.