Haricots Verts a la Provencale

Haricots Verts A La Provencale

For 6 – 8 Servings

2 Cups thinly sliced onions

½ cup olive oil

A large enamel or other skillet large enough to hold everything

4-6 large firm ripe tomatoes (or you can very successfully use Delmonte canned tomatoes in oregano and balsamic vinegar… reserve the liquid and drain)

2-4 cloves mashed garlic

A medium herb bouquet (parsley, bay leaf, thyme, cloves(only 2)tied in cheesecloth or you can use the standard Simon and Garfinkle herbs (for those of you not up on your sixties folk that would be Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme!)

¾ cup liquid (juice from the tomatoes plus water)

Salt and pepper to taste

3 lbs beans

Salt/pepper

¼ cup chopped parsley or mixture of green herbs (basil, savory, tarragon, parsley)

Cook the onions slowly in the olive oil until they are tender and translucent

Add tomatoes, garlic and herbs + liquid and salt and pepper ; cook 30 minutes then remove bouquet

While the tomatoes are cooking blanch the beans in 7-8 quarts of boiling salted water but drain them 3-4 minutes before they are tender. If you cook them ahead of time plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking so they don’t get soft. Toss them in the pan with the onions and tomatoes. Cover and simmer slowly for about 8 minutes. If any liquid remains cook it off. Toss in green herbs and serve.