A Versatile Recipe: Roasted Romanos and Tomatoes with Tapenade

A Versatile Recipe:  Roasted Romanos and Tomatoes with Tapenade

by Victoria Challancin

The clean, sunny flavors of the Mediterranean come together beautifully in this simple recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine. This tapenade, is so easy to make.  Keep it on hand as a dip (add yogurt if you like), a sandwich spread, or add a dollop to your favorite vinaigrette for a lightly-spiced flavor fling for any salad.

Roasted Romanos (Green Beans) and Tomatoes with Tapenade

(Recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine)

Serves 4 to 6.

Note:  We will use the pole beans, called judias in Spanish, that have lately been available at Mega.

Kosher salt

3/4 lb green or yellow Romano beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths (3 cups)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups assorted-color cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 recipe Easy Tapenade (see the following recipe) 

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the beans in the water until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Drain well.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Put the beans in a medium bowl, toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Spread the beans in one layer on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, leaving space for the tomatoes.

In a small bowl, toss the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Spread the tomatoes on the baking sheet.

Roast the beans and tomatoes just until the tomatoes start to split, 7 to 10 minutes. Slide the beans onto a serving dish, top with the tomatoes, and dot liberally with the tapenade. Serve, with additional tapenade on the side.

Easy Tapenade

Note:  Extra tapenade is delicious on crostini or spread on sandwiches.

Yields one scant cup.

1/2 cup pitted Niçoise or Kalamata olives

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 anchovy fillets, rinsed

1 medium shallot, quartered and peeled

1 large clove garlic, quartered and peeled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the olives, lime juice, anchovies, shallot, and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube and process until you have a smooth paste. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remember that the olives and the anchovies already are quite salty.