This meal is my parting ode to Miami’s seasonal farmers’ markets, which pop up around the city January through April while the rest of the country is still frozen solid.
Almost all but the zucchini for this dish came from my favorite Bayfront park vendor. I stumbled upon this Greek stew (it’s traditionally called fassolakia Iadera) while searching epicurious.com for a fitting way to dispose of my vegetable bounty. I took a few liberties with the original recipe: I pureed fresh tomatoes instead of using canned, utilized my overstock of new potatoes with the skins left on, and threw in as much oregano as my tiny plant would yield (a mere tablespoon).
Chunks of feta absolutely made this dish. Bites without tasted like, well, vegetable soup. But add a fleck of feta and now we’re talking. I’m also boycotting the $5 loaves of bread at my grocery store, so I worked on dough for no-knead bread in a hurry this morning and baked it while my stew simmered.
I also prepped the green beans and zucchini this morning before heading to work (so I wouldn’t be starving before the stew hit our bowls). To no avail, William and I were so hungry we forgot to snap a picture.
Greek Green Bean, Zucchini, and Potato Stew
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 pound green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
1/4 teasspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces small new (red) potatoes, quartered with skins left on
8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds
3/4 cup chopped parsley
2 large tomatoes, pureed
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pepper to taste
Accompaniments
Feta
Crusty bread
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart, straight-sided (or deep) saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Toss in green beans and cayenne and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add zucchini and potatoes to the pan, and pour in tomato puree. Stir in parsley, oregano, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, and turn heat to low. Simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender. Season with pepper and additional salt to your liking.
Serve topped with feta and heart bread for sopping.
Serves 4 to 6