I managed to videotape a (I think) special one-hour episode of Barefoot Contessa, and then managed to watch some of it too. At first I wasn't all that interested, but as usual, Ina drew me in with "French Made Easy," which splits her time between Paris and home. Despite my heritage, I know very little about French cooking, but after seeing at least 6 recipes on this episode that had my heart pounding, I'm hooked.
First, a simple twist on green beans. Which, incredibly, she called exactly that: "French String Beans," not "haricots verts." I always learned that "haricots verts" is how you say "green beans" in French, but since then I've also seen that "haricots verts" are thinner and darker than the big crisp green beans in your Mom's garden.
This recipe called foe simple roasting of vegetables, then adding them to blanched string beans. So, so simple -- like the post-it note, why didn't I think of that?
Green beans -- actually, haricots verts -- are a staple around here, and I don't mess with staples lightly, but it was easy enough to separate the green from the red. My husband approved of the enhancement, and my younger son gamely tried the roasted peppers, since he liked the looks of "the yellow thing." Indeed, the peppers and onions make this look festive and very appealing. And I loved it -- both the preparation (overall simple), and the result (yummy, simple, attractive).
Merci, Madame Ina!
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