Quick French Garden Harvest Stew & Zesty Green Bean and Pot

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Just a note of information: Walter Wells is a friend and while in college lived across the hallway from me. He later became the News Editor of the International Herald Tribune (English speaking Newspaper in Paris). His wife Patricia, is the Food Critic at the newspaper and is the author of many wonderful cookbooks.

Quick French Garden Harvest Stew
inspired by At Home in Provence, by Patricia Wells (Scribner, 1996).

Provence in August is overflowing with fresh squash and tomatoes cooked with olive oil, garlic,
and thyme. This quick version is still bursting with French flavor but it won’t keep you in the kitchen all day, so you can love it as much as your family does. Read the simple recipe for this healthful French Harvest Stew here.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 small fresh zucchini or summer squash, cut into thin rounds
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds fresh Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped (I never peel my tomatoes, but then I don’t mind little curly bits of peel in my stew. If you’d rather not deal with them, just make an “X” on the bottom of the tomatoes with a knife and plunge them in boiling water for a minute, then peel.)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

1. Heat the oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat and add the squash and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is just beginning to brown but is still firm.
2. Add the garlic and salt and continue cooking for a minute or two, just until the garlic starts to brown. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and vinegar and cook uncovered about 10 minutes more, until the ingredients are well combined and there is hardly any liquid left in the skillet. Add the remaining thyme, then serve warm or room temperature.
Serves 6 to 8.
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/3029

Zesty Green Bean and Potato Salad

Adapted from ExtraVeganZa, by Laura Matthias (New Society Publishers, 2006).
Here is the recipe for this Zesty Green Bean and Potato Salad:
INGREDIENTS
10 cups water
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
6 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups green beans, stems removed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon dill leaf
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook potatoes until soft--approximately 10 minutes. Drain and rinse them in cold water, and set aside.
2. Place green bean pieces in a steamer and steam until bright green--around 2 minutes. Remove from steamer immediately and run under cold water, then drain and set aside.
3. Prepare the dressing by combining the garlic, olive oil, mustard, dill, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stirring together. Fold in the red onions, potatoes, and green beans. Chill salad for one hour or more before serving.
Serves 8 to 10.
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/3030

This message was edited Aug 31, 2006 6:56 PM