This a colorful and aromatic dish that has plenty of crunch due to just cooking the vegetables lightly and quickly. The recipe lists shiso, which is a Japanese herb that usually shows up in sushi. If you do not have it, don’t worry, carry on without it. I used as it was in the garden, and it adds depth to the dish, but you won’t miss it if it is not there. Leftovers make a good cold salad as is, or you could lightly dress it with a little white balsamic vinaigrette.
INGREDIENTS:
1-1½ pounds Romano beans, ends trimmed and cut across into ¼-inch batons (If the beans are narrow, slice on a diagonal to yield 1 inch batons) 2-3 Costata Romanesco, Cousa*, or any other summer squash, ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch slabs, then cut crosswise into ¼ inch batons ½ each of a large yellow and red bell pepper, seeds and white pith removed, cut into 1 inch wide strips, then cut across into ¼ inch batons 1 medium yellow or white onion, halved through the root, sliced straight down along the length into 1/8th inch slices, then cut across into ¼ inch slices 2 cloves garlic, minced 10-15 fresh mint leaves, stacked and sliced into very fine ribbons 10-20 fresh ½-inch oregano leaves, stacked and sliced very finely 2-3 shiso leaves, stacked, rolled, sliced very thinly** Salt and Pepper to taste ¼ cup roasted almonds, coarsely chopped Olive oil as neededMETHOD:
Put the squash into a non-reactive bowl and either spray with oil all over, or drizzle lightly with oil and toss to coat.
Heat a very large (12-14 inches) sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, film generously with oil. When the oil is hot, add the Romano beans and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing frequently. Get the beans hot and let them show a little color here and there.
Make a well in the center of the beans and add the bell pepper. Cook for 1 minute without disturbing, then toss to combine. Cook 2-3 minutes, then make a well in the center of the pan. Add the squash and spread out. Cook for 1-2 minutes to add a little color in spots to the squash, but do not let it get dark or soft. Toss the vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté 2 minutes more.
Make a well in the center, and add a little oil if dry. Add the onions and cook for a minute just to heat them through so they aren’t raw. Make a well, add the garlic and a few drops of oil onto the garlic if pan is dry. Sauté until fragrant, then stir in to combine.
Taste the mixture-everything should still be crisp, but the beans should have lost the completely “raw” flavor, and be a little sweet/nutty and yield a little to the teeth. The squash should still have some crunch as well, but should not be getting soft (as opposed to tender). If not, sauté a couple minutes more. Once the beans and squash have reached the crisp/tender stage, scatter the herbs over the vegetables, as well as the almonds, and toss to combine well. Stir with a wooden spatula to ensure a good mix, and taste for salt and pepper, adding more if needed.
Serve hot, or room temperature.
Chef’s Notes: *Costata Romanesco and Cousa squash (as well as Tromboncini, if you can find it) are all lower moisture content squash, so they sauté well, getting golden and crisp while developing a nutty flavor, where many of the other types might get overly soft too soon. **Shiso is perilla fructescens crispa, the green leaf often soon in sushi bars. It has a flavor that that is loathed by some, loved by others. Think mint, cilantro, and lemon rolled into one, and that gets close to the flavor of shiso. DO not use the purple variety for this recipe.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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