Best Summer Beans With Marinated Mozzarella And Cherry Tomatoes Recipes

CHERRY TOMATO AND WHITE BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the red onion and garlic and set the dressing aside to marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Place the tomatoes, white beans and parsley in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, then gently fold in the Parmesan. Serve at room temperature using a slotted spoon.

SAUTEED GREEN BEANS AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add green beans and cook, stirring often, until seared in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes for tender-crisp or 6 minutes for tender.
• Push the beans to the side; add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add tomatoes, stir everything together and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat; stir in vinegar, salt and pepper.

GREEN BEAN GRATINATE WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, MOZZARELLA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Recommended Equipment: A shallow baking dish with two-or three-quart capacity.
• Arrange a rack in the top half of the oven and preheat to 375ºF. Fill a large pot with water (at least five quarts) and bring it to a boil.
• Dump them all into the boiling water, cover the pot until the water boils again, then cook uncovered, for 10 minutes or so, until they are just cooked through -- tender but still firm enough to snap.
• Drain the beans briefly in a colander, then put them in a big kitchen bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt on the hot beans and toss them so they're all seasoned. Let the salt melt and the beans cool for a couple of minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse and dry the tomatoes. If they're larger than an inch, slice them in halves, otherwise, leave them whole. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Slice the basil leaves into thin shreds or a chiffonade.
• Toss the grated cheese and bread crumbs together in a small bowl. Lightly grease the insides of the baking dish with a teaspoon or more of the butter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese-and-bread-crumb mix all over the bottom of the dish.
• When the beans are no longer steaming, drop the tomatoes, cubes of mozzarella and basil shreds on top. Drizzle the olive oil over all, sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss together a few times. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheesy bread crumbs on top and toss well, so everything is coated.
• Turn the vegetables, scraping up all the crumbs, into the baking dish and spread them in an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining 1/4 cup of crumbs, cut the rest of the butter in small pieces and scatter them all over the top. Place the dish in the oven.
• Bake the gratinate for 10 minutes, then rotate it back to front and bake another 10 minutes. Check to see that it is browning and bake a few minutes more, until the gratinate is dark golden and crusted. (If the crumbs still look pale after 20 minutes in your oven, raise the temperature to 400 degrees or 425 degrees and bake until done.)
• Serve the hot gratinate in the baking dish. Recipe serves 6.

MARINATED MOZZARELLA, OLIVES AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Put cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the olives and toss.
• In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano and red-pepper flakes. Pour mixture over tomatoes and olives. Toss well to coat and let sit for at least 10 minutes and up to an hour.
• When ready to eat, arrange mozzarella in the center of a large platter (or arrange on individual plates). Spoon tomato and olive mixture over mozzarella. Garnish with lots of basil leaves.