Fresh Veggie Sauté

Found on page 198 of my Ranch Raised Cookbook!
Photography by Charity Burggraaf

When our summer garden is abundant with fresh green beans and sweet cherry tomatoes, this is my go-to dish. It’s great with any grilled meat, plus it’s quick and easy to throw together at the last minute, especially if you blanch the green beans in advance (sometimes I’ll do it in the morning). If you are planting your own beans, it’s fun to grow different varieties: green, wax, and even purple. Whichever herbs I have in the garden end up in this dish, so feel free to experiment with new combinations depending on what you have on hand.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound fresh green beans or a combination of green and wax beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 2 ears fresh white corn, shucked
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups halved sweet cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as oregano, marjoram, thyme, and basil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1/2 medium lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

First, blanch the green beans. Fill a bowl with ice and cold water and set aside. Bring a medium saucepan filled halfway with salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the green beans. Cook until just crisp-tender, about 4 minutes (depending upon their size and freshness), then drain in a colander and transfer to the ice bath. Set aside.

To prepare the corn, snap the ears in half crosswise. Stand each one on the flat end, using a sharp knife, cut down the side of the cob to remove the kernels.

In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the corn, tomatoes, herbs, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the corn is just barely tender, about 3 minutes.

Drain the green beans and add to the corn mixture. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is warmed through. Add the lemon juice and butter and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.