We have had company for the last several days, so I wanted a Sunday dinner that was not hours of preparation. An American standard meal of meatloaf, potatoes, and green beans seemed like a good idea. Of course, I could not make it that simple I had to get spontaneously creative.
Karl’s Harcourt Verts with Pear Sauce
Steamed Harcourt verts is a simple way to prepare these thin French beans. Normally I would have added butter and garlic, but daughter Miriam is “off” garlic at the moment. Looking around the kitchen I saw a pear that was needing to be used before it went bad. Mincing it up and tossing a few herbs was a quick and easy answer to my problem.
Karl’s Harcourt Verts with Pear Sauce
Ingredients
1 lb. Harcourt Verts
1 pear
2 Tbs. butter (olive oil for Vegan)
1 tsp. thyme
½ tsp. chervil
¼ tsp. white pepper
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
Directions
1. Steam the Harcourt verts until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Tip: Rinse the beans in cold water to prevent them from continuing to cook from the residual heat.
Note: Harcourt verts green beans are thinner than American string beans and take less time to cook.
2. Peel, core, and mince the pear.
Tip: If you like a chunky sauce leave the pear in larger pieces. If you like a smooth sauce, mash the pear to a paste.
3. Rinse out the steamer pot and melt the butter over medium low heat.
4. Add the pear and herbs to the pot and cook the sauce for 3-5 minutes.
Tip: The time depends on who mushy you want your pear pieces. If you want discrete chunks of pear in your sauce cook them a shorter time.
5. Add the beans to the sauce and toss to coat.
6. Sprinkle the beans with the pepper and salt.
7. Transfer the beans to a serving bowl, scraping any remaining sauce over the beans.
8. Serve warm.
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