Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables – so meaty and versatile. Green Beans ai Funghi can’t be prepared using frozen green beans. Fresh, crisp-tender beans and velvety mushrooms are bathed together in buttery goodness with a bit of acid. And please top with crispy shallots. You won’t regret it.
I’ve had a difficult time buying factory-farmed meat from the grocery store for some time – the ick factor is potent. We’ve been lucky enough to find local farmers who raise their animals humanely, and for the most part we source our meat products from them.
Now that we grow and preserve so much of our own produce, that ick factor has extended to veg at the grocery store. The grocery store, to my mind, is an absolute miracle – to transport vegetables hundreds or thousands of miles, even across continents, and make them available throughout the year in our rural part of Connecticut is amazing. But it is a bit of an illusion. The varieties that can survive the journey from farm to market don’t have as much flavor. There’s fresh (from the grocery store), and then there’s fresh (from the garden). But if you want to eat Green Beans ai Funghi in April, grocery store beans will do.
Green Beans ai Funghi
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans (trimmed)
- 16 ounces mushrooms (a mixture of mushrooms is nice)
- 6 T butter
- 3 T red wine vinegar
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Cook the green beans – Blanch green beans in boiling, salted water until crisp-tender, then rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color. Set aside.
- Combine and cook – Tear the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and add them to a skillet. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Then reduce heat to medium and add the butter. Once the butter is melted and the mushrooms are coated, add the green beans, and 1 t salt. Cook, tossing often, until the butter begins to become brown and nutty. Add vinegar and a generous amount of pepper and cook a minute longer.
- Finish and serve – Transfer the green beans and mushrooms to a platter and pour any pan sauce over the dish evenly. Garnish with crispy shallots and serve.
