Side Dish for a Crowd

Haricots Verts, Roasted Red Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic Oil & Basil Chiffonade

Here’s a great side dish for a small dinner party or a huge gathering. Combine green beans, potatoes and tomatoes all in one dish with olive oil, garlic and basil for a real crowd-pleaser.  With its mix of colors, textures, and favors this easy-to-prepare dish appeals to almost everyone. What’s not to like?

RECIPE – serves 8, we quadruple this recipe for our crowd!

• 2 lb. new potatoes, quartered into bite-sized pieces
• 1 lb. trimmed haricots verts (French-style green beans)
• 12 oz. container cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 c. olive oil (divided)
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• fresh basil

Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400° oven until tender.

Cook green beans in boiling salted water until tender, then drain and shock in ice water.

In a large sauté pan heat a good amount of olive oil, add garlic then cherry tomatoes. When the tomatoes are just heated through, add beans and potatoes to the pan. Toss. Season with salt and pepper.

For our big event we roast the potatoes, cook the beans, chop the garlic, and wash the tomatoes in the morning. To serve, the potatoes and beans are later warmed in the oven then added to the pan with olive oil, garlic and tomatoes as described above. With all the activity in our busy kitchen, we love this fast, easy, and tasty dish!

Serve on a platter, garnish with chiffonade of fresh basil.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit in April of 2007 and continues to be a favorite!