Farmer's Market Dinner: Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes, Field Peas, and Butterbeans

I am having the best time this summer cooking with Texas produce from the McKinney Farmer's Market. In fact, the produce has been stealing the show for most of our meals, like these green beans, purple hull peas, and butterbeans braised with hunks of summer tomatoes that turn into a comforting sauce. Every single vegetable in this dish (except for the shallot) was from vendors at the market!  

 

So this summer, if you're finding yourself with a glut of tomatoes, give this dish a try or whip up this Lentil and Barley Salad or super easy Tomato Goat Cheese Tart. If you've got okra on your hands, pretty please make this Greek Okra with Tomatoes and Feta or these fabulous Okra Corn Fritters.  Cucumber? Definitely try this Cucumber Salad. Load up zucchini and squash slices on these Vegetable Halloumi Skewers or make a bubbly batch of TexMex Squash Casserole. Or if peaches are still rolling in, I don't think you'll regret indulging in some Peach Cobbler. Whatever you've got, happy summer cooking!

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

1 Tb butter

1/2 shallot, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut into bit sized pieces

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup purple hull peas, frozen, canned, or cooked from fresh/dried (or black eyed peas)

1/2 cup butterbeans, frozen, canned, or cooked from fresh/dried

salt and pepper

1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions
(I used Rice Select Royal Blend with light brown rice, red quinoa, and freekeh)

 

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan.

 

Once hot, toss in the shallot, and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent.

 

Add the garlic, paprika, and cayenne to the skillet, and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

 

Add the green beans, and cook for about 2 minutes before stirring in the diced tomato. Once the tomato juices come to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and let everything simmer for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

While the green beans and tomatoes simmer, cook your rice according to the package directions.

 

After the green beans and tomatoes have simmered for about 35 minutes, stir in the peas and butterbeans, cover, and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste (plus a pinch more cayenne if you don't taste quite enough heat for your liking).

 

Serve the bean and tomato mixture over the rice, and enjoy!