GREEN BEAN & PEA PANZANELLA

GREEN BEAN & PEA PANZANELLA

(taken from WSJ, Chef is Johnny Monis)

Prep Time: 30 minutes ( if everything prepared ahead except blanching of beans) * (see NOTES)

If all done at the same time it takes about 2 hours.

Serves: 4-6
Cooking Utensils:  4- Qt. pot, baking sheet, medium saute pan, large bowl, lots of ice, kitchen knife

INGREDIENTS

4 1-inch thick slices of day-old rustic bread or baguette

¾ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp roughly chopped garlic (4 large cloves)

Salt to taste

1 cup shelled fava beans, (par boiled/iced* and slipped out of their skins) You will need a lot of beans as

                 pods are very large.  Do not substitute ready-prepared favas as they are very salty and mushy.

1 cup English peas (shucked) You will need a lot of peas as pods are large and may contain only one or two peas. Frozen peas can be used, they're just not as flavorful . Do not cook peas only defrost

1 cup French or wax beans, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup sugar snap peas, cut into bite sizes

½ Tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ cup Sherry vinegar

½ cup thinly sliced purple onion (about ½ medium-size onion)

½ cup fresh mint, washed, dried and roughly torn, more if you like the taste

½ cup fresh dill, washed, dried, and roughly chopped, more if you like the taste

PROCESS

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil (for blanching vegetables)

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Tear or cut bread/baguette into rough 1-inch pieces.  Spread out on a baking sheet and back until golden, (approx 11-12 minutes, flipping once halfway through if necessary. 3. Heat ¼ cup oil and all garlic in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat.  Cook until garlic is light colored (about 3 minutes). Pour garlic oil over croutons and toss well to coat. Season and set aside.  

4. Lightly blanch all beans in like batches until crisp-tender*(see below).  With slotted spoon, immediately transfer them to an ice-water bath.  Remove from ice-water and dry well on paper or cloth towels.

    *Here are suggested times for blanching vegetables

                Fava Beans (outer pod removed but inner shell still on) -  2-3 minutes at rolling boil. 

This is tricky (cooking time varies depending on the size and age of the beans), as you only want the beans to cook a little bit, so when you see the outer shell get puffy, drop on in the ice water.  If the outer shell sort of caves in try to remove it.  It should slip off easily exposing a bright green bean.  If cooked too long, the beans will be chalky-tasting and yellow.

                English peas - 2 minutes at a boil, drop immediately in ice-water, cool, and remove to dry

                French or wax beans - 2 minutes at a boil, drop immediately in ice-water, cool, remove to dry

                Sugar snap peas - ½ minute at a boil, drop immediately in ice-water, cool, and remove to dry

4. Whisk together mustard, vinegar and remaining ½ cup oil. Season with salt if needed.

5. In large bowl, toss croutons with onion slices, beans and herbs.  Lightly dress with half the vinaigrette.  Let sit for 5 minutes and taste.  Add more dressing of needed.         

NOTES:  You can substitute Romano, Broad or other green bean as well as use wax beans.  Use what’s available.  You should try to have peas, sugar snaps or other round or crunchy bean for texture.  Fresh fava beans can be hard to find.  Mid-summer is best and probably only at high-end markets.You can use fresh cranberry or lima beans as well. 

The croutons, dressing and shucking of English peas and fava beans can all be done a day or two ahead.  It saves about 1 ½  hour of prep time. (Bread/croutons – 25 minutes, dressing - 10 minutes, shucking fava beans or peas, - 25 minutes or so each) Probably not a good idea to cut green/wax/other or sugar snaps until after blanching and cooling. If possible don't assemble salad w/croutons & dressing until just before eating or will get soggy.

This is one of the best summer dishes I know of.  Well worth the time and effort.  Works well with all meats, fish or a stand alone meal. 

I’ve served it with a cheese plate and fruit for a light but really tasty supper.