FROM MY FRENCH HEART TO YOURS

Once upon a time, I was hospitalized with pneumonia and stuck in the hospital for days. My husband, my sweetheart, my friend, bought and brought me this cookbook, knowing that I enjoyed reading them as much as cooking from them. Are you like that? I started folding corners over on the pages of recipes I wanted to try and soon the book looked like an accordion. I knew it was a keeper.

I came across a fantastic blog the other day called The Single Nester. Carmie is another gal who loves to read cookbooks and decided to cook a recipe a week from her cookbooks. I volunteered to do the same. Believe it or not, I have over 100 cookbooks. Anyway, we decided to do this together. After you read my post, please visit Carmie...we are in this together.
As I have said, this book was like my bible, but I hardly referred to it after my hospital stay and it's a shame. It has wonderful, doable recipes that I have neglected to try. Okay, Blondie, stop babbling. Today we are making Green Bean Provencal. Why? Because I had most of the ingredients in my fridge. An essential ingredient is French style tender baby beans. I was going to use some fresh green beans {and you can}, but I happened to find them on a trip to Costco this morning while we were stocking up on our blizzard provisions. A wonderful side dish is made with them as I will illustrate. Ahemmmm...
Above is the recipe. If you can't read it, even enlarged, please email me and I will send you the recipe.
Some of the fresh ingredients...
...and the haricots verts. Don't let the name scare you..use trimmed greens beans if you want.
A little info on them.
So first you cook these little babies over medium heat for about 3~4 minutes until tender crisp.
Drain in a colander.
Do your nails OR in the mean time, chop some onion {one large} and 4 cloves {I used 6...we love garlic} coarsely.
The recipe calls for peeled, seeded tomatoes. I was NOT going to spend precious time peeling 4 tomatoes which requires boiling or blanching, so forget that, but do squeeze out the juice and seeds or your end result will be soupy and runny. I have illustrated that above. Should have done a manicure while I had the chance. Just give a quarter of a tomato a good squeeze into it's pile of goo. Add the tomatoes and wine to the pan where you have been simmering the garlic and onion and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat. Squeeze in that lemon juice; it really make all the difference, and the pepper. I added a pinch of salt, too.
Add the green beans, and olives and let them heat up. about 3 minutes. And this is what you have. The recipe says that this is great with a roasted chicken. Well, I was fresh out. I made pork chops and we spooned this right over. As I was cooking and sniffing, I couldn't help but think that this would be a wonderful sauce for fresh shrimp. You tell me.

That's all I have. Oh yes...we are in the middle of a blizzard, but I am trying to ignore it. So it also seems, the majority of the country, so I won't complain. Try to find something to keep you busy...stay warm and safe! :-)