Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
 
Braised Romano Beans with Tomatoes
In this dish the vegetables are first cooked with aromatics in vegetable stock, where they become sweet and soft. Then they are roasted in a hot oven where they become meltingly tender and caramelized. It’s a winning formula for flat Italian Romano beans, shallots, thyme, and petite flavorful Hiiros cherry tomatoes, ripened on their vines. Hiiros have a deep flavor, both umami and sweet, and high levels of the antioxidant lycopene and vitamins A and C. This dish involves so little prep, you can whip it up in no time. Garnish with a light sprinkle of sharp brined green olives for a nice contrast in flavors. Braised Romano Beans and Tomatoes makes a fabulous side dish or a starter when served with crusty artisanal 100% whole grain bread.
 
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 30 to 35 minutes
Serves 3 to 4
 
1 pound fresh Romano beans, stem tops removed
1 ½  pounds Hiiros, or similarly flavorful small tomatoes
3 medium shallots, peeled and cut in ¼-inch slices
3 large cloves garlic, cut in ⅛-inch slices
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves only
½ cup no-sodium vegetable broth
¼ cup Lebanese Zejd Souri, Italian Ligurian, French picholine or similar quality brined green olives
⅓ cup aka (red) miso paste, diluted with ⅔ cup water
 
Hint:
Here’s an easy way to strip pesky thyme leaves off their stems: Hold a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pull each thyme stem through a strainer hole, which will strip the leaves off easily and catch them in the bowl.
 
Preheat the oven to 450°F in a conventional oven, 425°F in a convection oven.
Arrange the Romano beans in a large stainless sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid. Intersperse with the sliced shallot and garlic, lay down the strips of Hiiros tomatoes attached to their vines. Sprinkle thyme leaves over the surface and pour in enough vegetable broth to come ½-inch up the sides of the pan.
Heat the sauté pan on medium and maintain, covered, at a gentle simmer. Cook the vegetables for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and use a paring knife inserted into a Romano bean to test for doneness. It should pierce the bean with no resistance.
If the vegetables have released enough liquid to exceed ½-inch in the pan, use a turkey baster to remove the excess liquid and pour it in a small pot. Heat the pot on low and reduce this flavorful liquid until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. We can use it to glaze the beans and tomatoes when plating, or to serve at the table as a flavorful sauce.
Place the sauté pan, uncovered, in the oven. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, checking it occasionally. Roasting the vegetables hot and fast will reduce the liquid and thicken it. You should have just enough to glaze the vegetables. The dish is ready when the tomatoes have begun to caramelize and lightly darken. 
Use a pastry brush to spread the thickened braising sauce over the vegetables to coat them. Sprinkle a small handful of olives over the surface. 
To plate, remove the tomatoes from the vine or not, as you like. Drizzle with diluted aka (red) miso to taste and the flavorful glaze on top. 
Serve immediately and pass around any remaining glaze for your guests to add more if they like.