Summer is green bean time, and this recipe is something very special. Beans, Gorgonzola, walnuts and a fine aceto bianco go great together. In Italy, we usually eat steamed beans as a side dish. But they also make a great starter or light dinner.
Well-traveled vegetables
Like other vegetables, green beans originate from Central and Latin America. Columbus' men brought them with them to the Old World, where beans, tomatoes & co. became widespread in Italy. Green beans are considered healthy, high in fibre and low in calories. They can be used in many ways – boiled, baked, marinated or plain, they are served as fagiolini, cornetti, or tegoline (green beans have different names in the various regions of Italy).
Beans love vinegar
In early and mid summer, the beans are tender and aromatic and have not yet developed any "strings". They can be combined well with intense flavours, such as Gorgonzola cheese. A marinade of salt, olive oil and white wine vinegar complements the beans perfectly and also makes the dish more digestible.
The white condiment
Vinegar fans have long appreciated condimento bianco, the "white condiment". The light version of balsamico, a mixture of grape juice and wine vinegar, is milder than the dark one. In autumn, the selected grapes are pressed. One part goes into stainless steel cooling tanks to preserve the sweetness of the juice and the light colour. The other part is fermented into wine and then into wine vinegar. The sour-sweet condimento bianco goes well with grilled poultry, fish or vegetables of all kinds and in any salad dressing.
All-rounder
If you like your dressing more tangy, you might go for a naturally cloudy version with a fresh acidity, such as the organic aceto di vino bianco. For me, this vinegar is also a super all-rounder in the home: from preserving food to the medicine cabinet. The mild vinegar inhibits the formation of bacteria and gives pickled vegetables their own unique flavour. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and can positively influence the acid-alkaline balance in our organism.
Marinated green beans with gorgonzola
Ingredients
- 500 g green beans
- 50 g walnuts, peeled
- 60 g Gorgonzola cheese, spicy e.g. Blu di Capra
- 5 tablespoons white wine vinegar, e.g. Condimento Bianco denso esclusivo
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Remove the tips from the green beans and cook them in plenty of water for about 15 minutes, depending on their thickness, until firm to the bite (in a pressure cooker, 3 minutes is enough after “whistling”). Add salt to the beans while they are still hot and leave to cool.
- Roast the walnuts on a baking tray in apre-heated oven at 150° C for about 10 minutes. Make sure they do not get too dark. Allow nuts to cool and chop coarsely.
- Chop the Gorgonzola into bite-sized pieces. Marinate the beans with a pinch of salt, olive oil and condimento bianco. Serve garnished with the cheese and walnuts.
Larisa
Delicious seasonal produce, a perfect tasty combination. I love a meal like this!