Wow – June again already! where does the time go? So what foods are in season & in the stores and markets this month?
Stone fruits like plums, apricots & peaches are in good supply and local melons and sandia will start coming good, but may not be super-sweet yet.
We should start to see new season green beans starting to appear at markets and on the shelves in the supermarket.
Often just served steamed or boiled as a side dish, and almost overlooked, these delicious pods are actually pretty versatile, and can be served in a number of interesting ways.
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how to prepare perfect green beans
Fill a large basin with cold water and add some ice – set aside.
Remove the stalk end of the beans (some people like to remove the little tip too).
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the beans, pop on a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes. Test one to check the texture is to your liking.
Using a slotted spoon or sieve transfer the beans to the cold water – this will stop the cooking process and help to preserve a bright green colour.
Drain well and keep in the fridge until you are ready to use them – reheat by briefly dropping them in a pan of boiling water, tossing them in hot pan with some butter or use the microwave (but be careful not to overdo it).
Or use them cold in a variety of delicious salads like:
Niçoise salad:
Baby gem lettuce hearts
Boiled baby Mallorcan potatoes – cold – cut into halves
Tomatoes cut into bitesize pieces
Boiled eggs – quartered
Thinly sliced red onion
Tuna – canned works really well
Black Olives
Dressing :
50 ml Red wine vinegar, 125 ml x.v. olive oil, 1 lge clove garlic crushed, 3 anchovy fillets finely chopped or crushed, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Chopped flat-leaf parsley to finish
Cut the lettuces into wedges and arrange them in a shallow bowl, top with the potatoes, tomatoes, boiled eggs and finally the tuna. Finish with the black olives, a good glug of the dressing and the chopped parsley.
Thai style salad:
Combine blanched green beans with sliced raddish, grated carrot, spring onions & roughly torn herbs (basil, mint, coriander)
Make a dressing with sesame oil, fish sauce, sweet chile sauce & lime juice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and crispy fried onions.
Hot dishes with green beans
Lamb El-Dorado
A Mexican(ish) style dish of slow cooked lamb with almonds, apricots, raisins and green beans, in a tomato chile sauce flavoured with cinnamon and cumin.
600g diced lamb or goat
1 large onion diced
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 dried Ancho chile – deseeded, toasted & soaked
1 can chopped tomatoes
Juice of 2 limes
25g Ground almonds
125g Dried apricots roughly chopped
1 Cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt & pepper
Toasted Almond flakes for garnish
500g green beans
Start by browning the meat in a hot casserole dish – set aside
Then fry the onions and garlic until soft – allow to cool a little before blending with the rehydrated Ancho chile, its soaking water, the lime juice & the tomatoes.
Pour the sauce into the pan and add the spices and the meat and bring to a simmer.
Transfer to a pre-heated oven (160ºc) and cook for 90 minutes ( check the liquid level occasionally and add more water or tomato if needed)
Then add the apricots and the green beans and continue to cook for 20 minutes – stir in the ground almonds – cook for a further 10 minutes – serve over rice garnished with the toasted flaked almonds & fresh coriander.
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Roast green beans with parmesan
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Super simple & delicious – toss your green beans in olive oil (not x.v.) with a sprinkling of salt & some chopped garlic. Scatter your beans on a baking tray and grate fresh parmesan over the top. Pop them in a pre-heated oven at 200ºc for approx. 20 minutes. Grate some lemon zest over the top with a squeeze of lemon juice and serve.
Steve French has been a Chef, restaurateur and food consultant in both the UK and Spain for over 35 years; most recently at Finca49 in Pollença and is currently running cookery experiences in Andalucia.Â
“Snapshots of Summer” a Finca49 cookbook is now available to buy as an e-book for only £8.99 – visit www.finca49.com
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