Thanksgiving side: Tuscan Green Beans
Jason Craine admits Thanksgiving gatherings can be awkward for a guest who is a chef.
Other cooks are looking for approval, often prefacing their contributions to the table with, “Well, it’s not as good as you would make …”
Craine usually takes a break from the kitchen because “there’s a time as a chef when you have to stop thinking about the food and think about how everybody is feeling,” he says.
Craine’s recipe for Tuscan Green Beans is down-to-earth yet different: “It’s a dish that’s easy and not a typical green bean casserole with the can of soup and fried onions.”
Meanwhile, Craine is eager to convince Midwestern diners that his new downtown French bistro speaks their language. “People think they don’t know French food, but you just need to recognize it in your own words,” he says. “I don’t want to dumb the menu down, but I want to make the food approachable.”
Tips: Craine uses French green beans, known as haricots verts, that he buys at Costco. But they can be tricky to find this time of year, so we went with fresh string green beans. If you use the smaller variety, adjust your roasting time accordingly.
If you don’t want to buy balsamic glaze, reduce balsamic vinegar over low heat by half until it becomes syrupy. For a variation on this side dish, add slivered almonds, feta cheese or a hearty tomato sauce.
Wine notes
Don’t think for a second that you have to have a separate wine for every course and each side dish. That’s just crazy. But in case you’re simplifying your Thanksgiving dinner and Tuscan Green Beans seem adequate for a delicious meal to you, I offer this vinous suggestion: Sauvignon Blanc or Gruener Veltliner. Each is tart enough to sit alongside the tangy tomato taste and rich enough to add another layer of flavor to the dish.
Think Duckhorn, Quivira, Rodney Strong, Robert Mondavi Napa, St. Supery or Sterling for Sauvignon Blanc — I like what California is doing with the grape these days. Wines made from the Gruener Veltliner grape can be harder to find, but Bruendlmayer, Domaine de Wachau, Nigl and Nikolaihof are some of my favorites.
—Doug Frost, Special to The Star
Tuscan Green Beans
Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 1/2 pounds green beans, cleaned
6 large shallots, finely julienned lengthwise, divided
6 cloves garlic, slivered, divided
8 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed, divided
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pints grape tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) tub ricotta
Aged balsamic vinegar glaze
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Blanch the green beans in boiling water until crisp tender; drain and shock beans in an ice bath to stop cooking and keep the bright green color.
In a mixing bowl, toss green beans with half the shallots, half the garlic, leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme, half the olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until beans begin to get a slightly charred appearance.
In the same mixing bowl, toss tomatoes with the remaining shallots, garlic, leaves from the remaining 4 sprigs of thyme, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to burst and char on one side.
To serve: Combine green beans and tomatoes in a serving bowl. Top with dollops of ricotta and drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze.
Per serving, based on 6: 479 calories (75 percent from fat), 42 grams total fat (8 grams saturated), 19 milligrams cholesterol, 23 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams protein, 48 milligrams sodium, 6 grams dietary fiber.
This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Thanksgiving side: Tuscan Green Beans."