I think Dede, who loved green beans, would have choked if I had suggested serving them with olives and feta cheese. He was more inclined to enjoy beans simmered until very soft and laced with transparent bits of fatback, swimming in a deliciously salty broth. More often than not, before cooking, green beans only need their tough, unsightly stems removed. I guess we are getting lazy about everything, including green beans. I like to leave them whole, curly “tail” attached, instead of snapping them.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

　　1/2 cup kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved

　　2 tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped

　　1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano

　　4 ounces crumbled sheep’s milk feta cheese

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Make an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water. Line a plate with paper towels.

　　

Step 2

To cook the beans, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well in a colander, then set the colander with beans in the ice-water bath (to set the color and stop the cooking), making sure the beans are submerged. Once chilled, remove the beans to the prepared plate.

　　

Step 3

In the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the cooked green beans, olives, tomatoes, oregano, and feta, and toss to coat. Cook until just heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm, or cold.

　　

Olive Oil

Step 4

Olive oil gets its flavor from the growing environment of the olive tree—the soil and the climate. In general, extra-virgin olive oils from Spain, France, northern Italy, Sicily, and Crete are milder than oils from Greece and central Italy. California has several hundred olive-oil producers and more than a hundred olive varietals, so its extra-virgin olive oil ranges in taste from sweet and mild to peppery and aggressive. Extra-virgin is the highest-quality olive oil. It is cold pressed, using pressure only, with no heat or chemicals. It’s fairly unrefined and has a moderately low smoke point; it is best used for dipping, drizzling, and dressings. Olive oil, often labeled “pure olive oil,” has been more refined and has a higher smoke point. Olive oil is appropriate for cooking when its flavor complements the dish.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.