Ingredients (for 6 – 8 person):
- tender, young green beans – about 1 – 1/2 lbs or so
- salt, q.b. (“quanto basta” or “as much as you need”)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, q. b.
- 4- 5 garlic cloves
- red wine vinegar, q. b. (about a cup)
- bunch of parsley
- bunch of fresh mint
After cooking green beans al dente (do not overcook!)in salted water and boiling potatoes in salted water (then peeling), combine the two together and season with fresh minced garlic, olive oil, vinegar.
You can either mash the potates with a fork or finely slice. Leave beans whole. Best served cold. You can boil the potatoes the day before and keep in fridge – beans, too.
Either beans or potoates may also be served on own with same seasoning. I like to add lots of minced fresh parsley to potatoes with olive oil and vinegar – and lots of fresh mint to beans dressed with olive oil, vinegar and crushed garlic.
In all cases, add salt and pepper to taste. (My Sicilian brother-in-law loves to add a minced anchovy to the above recipe).
*Hint: diced red onion can be used rather than garlic. If using, sprinkle with generous amount of salt and let diced onion sit about 10 mins., thus tenderizing it. Adjust salt needed in the green beans/potatoes dish after you’ve added the onion, olive oil and vinegar.
