French Beans With Tomatoes Recipe (Haricots Verts à la Provençale)
This colourful combination of Provençal flavours makes a pleasant change from plain green beans. Served cool or at room temperature, it is good as a starter or hors d’oeuvre.
225 g/1/2 lb French beans, trimmed and cut into 2 or 3 pieces
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Score a shallow cross in the base of each tomato and plunge them into the boiling water for about 45 seconds, then plunge into cold water . Peel off the skins, halve the tomatoes and scoop out and discard the seeds. Chop coarsely.
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat, add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2—3 minutes until just softened.
Add the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking for about 10 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes are soft, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, then add the beans and cook for 4-6 minutes until just tender. Drain the beans and stir into the tomato mixture, then cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Serve immediately or, if preferred, allow to cool for an hour or two and serve at room temperature.