Name: Romano beans sauteed with oregano Recipe
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 pound Romano beans; 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 2 tablespoons minced shallots; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves; 3/4 teaspoon salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes; 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

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By Betty Hallock

and Donna Deane

June 27, 2007

THERE’S no better way to spend a languid early-summer evening than by gathering with family or friends on the patio for a supper drawn from a table filled with colorful plates of delicious antipasti.

It’s a bit like eating at a trattoria in Italy: first your aperitivo and a small bowl of olives, maybe some salumi -- and then a parade of fantastic little dishes, often prepared simply with fresh vegetables and herbs. Dishes such as farro salad, or quick-grilled romaine with favas and pecorino, or Romano beans sauteed with fresh oregano. They’re basic and light but also pretty and tasty, cooked and dressed just right -- with a little vinegar, lemon juice, good olive oil or fresh herbs. They’re not meaty or heavy.

Nothing has to be baked or fried or stuffed or wrapped. Everything can be served room temperature.

These fresh-tasting salads aren’t just your garden-variety leafy greens, they’re an inviting start to a meal. Offer one as a first course, or serve a few at a time to be enjoyed by the spoonful in combination with other antipasti.

At Fraiche restaurant in Culver City, chef-owner Jason Travi serves an appetizer salad made with farro, the barley-like grain that’s firm and hearty and nutty.

He cooks the farro with a bouquet garni of bay leaf and a sprig of thyme, adds diced roasted red pepper and blanched English peas, then tosses the grain and vegetables with tarragon, basil, mint and parsley. The whole thing gets a light dressing of olive oil and lemon juice and is sprinkled with pecorino or ricotta salata, the Italian sheep’s milk cheese that’s perfect for summer dishes, mild, slightly nutty-sweet and a little crumbly.

Or saute flat, wide Romano beans with shallots, garlic and fresh oregano until the beans are tender but still have an edge of crispness. Cook them for a couple minutes more with some cherry tomatoes, then drizzle over a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar.

Take advantage of fresh favas while you still can; they’re great with a splash of citrus and olive oil and some chunks of pecorino. Match the creamy beans with crisp charred romaine that gets brushed with a little garlic-infused olive oil before being grilled.

Along with sips of a grassy Verdicchio or an herby Arneis, these charming first courses turn that eternal wait for dinner into a magic hour of anticipation.

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1 pound Romano beans

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves

¾ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes

½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Rinse the beans under cold running water. Drain, leaving any water clinging to the beans. Trim the ends and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the shallots and saute over medium heat about 1 minute. Add the garlic and continue to saute for 30 to 45 seconds, until tender and fragrant but not browned. Remove the sauteed shallots and garlic from the pan with a slotted spoon, pressing any excess oil back into the skillet. Set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the beans, oregano leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Saute over medium heat, stirring frequently until the beans are browned in spots and tender but retain some crispness, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the sauteed shallots and garlic. Cook just until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

Remove the pan from heat and let the beans cool slightly. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and allow contents to cool to room temperature. Remove the salad from the pan to a serving platter.

From Donna Deane. This dish was inspired by a recipe from “Chez Panisse Vegetables.” Romano beans can be special ordered at Whole Foods stores, or substitute Italian flat beans available at farmers markets (cut the flat beans in half crosswise as they are usually long).

Betty Hallock

Betty Hallock is deputy Food editor at the Los Angeles Times. She has co-written four cookbooks, including “Bäco: Vivid Recipes from the Heart of Los Angeles,” “Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen” and “Baking at République.” She started her journalism career at the Wall Street Journal and Scientific American in New York, worked on the L.A. Times’ Business desk, and was interim food editor at Los Angeles Magazine. Hallock also helped launch a food and nutrition vertical for wellness app RoundGlass. She’s a graduate of UCLA and New York University.