String Beans, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

It's easy to be inspired when you have stunningly beautiful, freshly harvested produce. Now is the time for the late summer harvest of snap beans, also known as string beans or green beans. The pods are picked while the seeds are still immature, and both the pod and the seeds are eaten. These long and slender members of the legume family are most commonly available in the familiar green bean, or the yellow wax bean, but occasionally you will find the show stopping purple string bean. Last week, I had the pleasure of cooking with all three colors, and even though the purple string beans turn green after cooking, it was a thrill to see the beautiful and unusual combination of colors in my vegetable basket.

One of my favorite childhood memories is of my mom sitting at the kitchen table with her lady friends, drinking lemonade or espresso, sharing stories, and snapping string beans that would become part of our supper. During the mid to late summer months, when locally grown string beans were plentiful, she made String Bean Salad a few times a week. The basic recipe always included boiled string beans tossed with onions, and an Italian dressing, and she had wonderful variations that included freshly harvested potatoes or tomatoes. These salads remain a favorite in my home and in my restaurant. Recently, I've added a Green Bean Salad with Hearts of Palm to my repertoire of recipes using glorious bounty of string beans.

Served warm or chilled, string bean salads make a healthy and delicious side dish, they are a good source of Vitamin C and fiber, and they are absolutely beautiful. String beans are available year round, but they are grown locally right now and of course, freshly picked is always better. Look for deep colors, with firm pods. Store them in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can find locally grown green and yellow string beans in supermarkets, at farm stands, and at at farmer's markets, but I know of only one place to buy purple string beans. They are organic, and stunningly beautiful and it's where mine came from last week; The Common Ground Charter School, a program of The New Haven Ecology Project. Visit them at: The Common Ground booth at the Farmers Market at Millennium Plaza next to the Hall of Records on 200 Orange Street in New Haven. The students and their teacher have a booth at the farmers market on Wednesdays from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM.

Italian String Bean Salad, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Serves 6

1 Pound string beans, green, yellow, or purple, or a combination
salt to taste
1 Medium red or yellow onion, sliced into thin rings
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon black pepper
1/4 Cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 Cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, or ½ teaspoon dried basil

Snap or cut off the stem end of the beans, then snap or cut into halves or thirds, depending on their size. Bring water to a boil in a large, covered pot. Add the green beans and boil for 4-5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain, and run under cold water, then drain again. Turn into a bowl, add remaining ingredients, and toss. Taste for seasonings. Serve warm or chilled.

For a Variation: Add 2 ripe heirloom or other tomatoes, cut into wedges, or 12 grape tomatoes, cut in half to the above salad and toss.

Italian String Bean and Potato Salad, with a Pesto Dressing
by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Serves 6

4 Red skin potatoes, cut into 1" chunks salt to taste
1 Pound string beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 Medium red onion, cut in half lengthwise, then into thin slices
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Large cloves garlic, cut in half
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, including tender stems
1 Tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or grated Pecorino Romano cheese
pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for about 6 minutes, then add the string beans. Continue boiling for another 5-6 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp-tender. Drain well. Turn into a bowl. Add the red onion, toss and set aside. Into a blender cup, measure the olive oil, then add the garlic, basil, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and pepper to taste. Blend on high speed for about 15 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the blender cup, with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is well blended. Taste for seasonings, adding a little salt if needed. Turn this pesto dressing onto the string bean and potato salad, using a rubber spatula to scrape the blender cup. Toss the salad well, using two wooden spoons, until the vegetables are fully coated with the dressing. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or chilled.

String Beans with Hearts of Palm, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Hearts of Palm are grown on the cabbage palm tree in tropical climates such as Brazil and Costa Rica. They have a flavor similar to artichokes, a creamy texture, and are fat-free. You can buy hearts of palm in cans or in jars, in the condiment or canned vegetable section of your supermarket.

Serves 6

1 Pound string beans, ends trimmed
salt to taste
1 7 and 3/4 ounce can hearts of palm, drained and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 Cup walnut halves or pecans
2 Medium Heirloom or other tomato, cut into ½ inch wedges
½ Cup soy-rice milk, found in the health food section of supermarkets, or dairy milk
½ Medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 Orange, peeled, and sliced, juices included
½ Cup dairy- free mayonnaise, or other mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, or ½ teaspoon dried tarragon pepper to taste

Cook the string beans in lightly salted boiling water for 5-7 minutes, or until crisp-tender to your preference. Drain, run under cold water, then drain again. Turn into a bowl. Add the hearts of palm, walnut halves, and tomatoes. Toss gently to combine. Set aside. Into a blender cup, measure the soy-rice milk. Add the onion, orange slices with its juices. Cover and blend on low speed for 5 seconds, then raise the speed to high and continue blending for another 25 seconds, stopping once to scrape the sides of the blender cup, using a rubber spatula. The mixture will have little pieces of orange in the liquid. Turn this into a bowl. Add the Mayonnaise, tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste. Whisk well to blend. Taste for seasoning. Pour this over the salad. Toss gently using two wooden spoons. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately or chilled.