Keeping up with our garden’s bounty: Braised Romano beans with Cherry Tomatoes

Romano beans and fresh tomatoes are an Italian classic with many variations. Here, bacon, garlic, shallots and basil lend their flavors to the mix. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]I[/su_dropcap]t’s all Romano beans all the time right now in our yard. This is the first time I’ve grown them, and they are being a fabulous success—the bushy little plants bursting with new pale-green pods practically every time I look at them. That means coming up with bright ideas on how to prepare them.

Sudden abundance is a common gardener’s dilemma. Tomatoes are a perfect example. You’ll have nothing, nothing, nothing and then suddenly, TOMATOES!!! Lots of them. Likewise, basil plants. And then there are these beans, happily chugging away.

The tomatoes (we grow lots of Sungold cherry tomatoes), we will cook with, add handfuls to work lunches and—my favorite way to eat tomatoes—eat them just picked from the plants and still warm from the sun, while I’m standing in the garden. Terry has already been harvesting batches of basil in the evening and throwing together quick fettuccine with pesto dinners. At some point late this summer, he will take over the kitchen and grind up multiple batches to freeze in plastic bags for occasional summery pesto dinners in the dead of winter.

Freezing Romano beans. And again, then there are these beans. Seeing how productive they’re being, I wondered if we could freeze them too. I’m happy to report you can! Just blanch them first.

• Here’s what you will need to blanch one pound of Romano beans (a good batch size—you can keep your boiling pot of water going and do multiple batches): a colander, a big bowl half full of iced water, a big pot with a tight-fitting lid—put in two quarts of water (or fill it 2/3 full of water). Big tongs or a big strainer.
• Set the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, prep the beans. First, pick off any leaves and long stems, rinse them, then pick or cut off the stem ends.
• When the water is at a full boil, drop in the beans, stir, put on the pot lid, and leave it alone for three minutes. Take off the lid and turn off the heat.
• Quickly scoop out the beans and plunge them into the iced water. Leave them there for five or six minutes, then drain in the colander.
• When they are dry, they are ready to freeze. You may take the gradualist approach (freeze individually on cookie sheets or trays, then move into storage containers) or put them directly into storage bags and freeze.
• Either way, when you move them into the storage containers, pack them tightly and try to remove as much air as possible. They will keep for about 9 months.

But before I freeze our bumper crop of Romano beans, I’m going to cook this dish at least once more. I made it the other day, and we loved the classic Italian flavor combo of the beans with tomatoes. There are many, many approaches to this basic combination, and honestly, they are all wonderful. Be sure to make plenty. It tastes even better the next day.

Braised Romano beans with Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4

4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 3/4 cup water
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (see Kitchen notes)
2 pounds Romano beans, topped and tailed, cut into bite-sized pieces (see Kitchen notes for substitutes)
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
salt

Sauté the bacon until just cooked through, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and stir the fats together. Sauté the shallots for a couple of minutes until the pieces begin to soften and grow translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, then add the Romano beans and stir to distribute everything.

Stir in the tomato paste and water mixture, bring everything to a low boil, cover and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are soft. Uncover and raise the heat to condense the liquid—you want the beans to be just coated with the cooking liquid. Add the cherry tomatoes. Stir them in and cook everything gently for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil. Adjust the seasoning with salt and serve.

Kitchen Notes

What kind of cherry tomatoes? The picture shows Sungold cherry tomatoes, which are our favorites, grown in our yard. Use the kind you prefer, from your yard or the farmers market or your grocery store.

What if I can’t get Romano beans? Yes, you can use regular green beans, similarly topped, tailed and cut into bite-sized pieces. Just reduce the cooking time drastically. Instead of 30-40 minutes, try 10 to 12.

Looking for more Romano bean recipes? Try these Romano Beans with Cashews we cooked earlier this summer.