Dynamite Tenderbites™

Ah, runner beans. Back in the 1970s, these long, plank-shaped green bean wonders were quite ubiquitous. Some time in the 80s, however, they were shoved out of favor by thinner, sexier cousins like haricot verts or even sugar snap peas. Ever since, they have been relegated to home gardens, the occasional bin at the farmer’s market, or the UK and Italy. Where they’ve always been part of the “in” crowd.

But I have good news. They’re baaaaaack!

Mann’s Tenderbite™ Beans have a succulent bite, sweet flavor and beautiful jade color. Their size offers an impressive heartiness that stands up well to grilling, roasting, and center-of-plate wow factor. I even threw them in a Mason jar and did a quick pickle. As a group of us stood around munching them in the test kitchen one day, we decided that Bloody Mary accompaniments had just been bumped up a big notch.

Just be sure to cook them for at least a minute or two before eating. Like most beans, Tenderbites contain small amounts of the protein phytohaemagglutinin (say that 3 times fast), which some people can be sensitive to.

We’ve put together lots of yummy ways to partake of Tenderbites. Check out the recipe guide on the right side bar for an amazing Sri Lankan curry, grilled Tenderbite and prawn salad, or Sichuan-style dry fried beans. We did a few how-to videos as well – be sure to log in to our for more ideas. Our favorite: Tempura Tenderbites with a Miso Mayo dipping sauce.

 

Tenderbite™ Bean Risotto

Ingredients

•  8 ounces Mann’s Tenderbite™ Green Beans, cut into 1-inch diagonal pieces
• 5 quarts vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• ½ cup finely grated parmesancheese, plus extra to serve
• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (a mixture of chervil, tarragon, chives and flatleaf parsley)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Blanch the beans in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove to a salted ice bath for several minutes, drain and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the butter and sauté the onion until it is translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the rice and toast for 1 minute more. Add the white wine and stir constantly until it is absorbed into the rice, then add 2 ladle-fulls of the hot vegetable stock, stirring constantly until it is absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way until it is gone and the rice has become creamy but still a bit al dente, about 20-25 minutes.

Stir in the mascarpone, parmesan, salt, pepper and herbs. Adjust seasonings as necessary and serve immediately with extra parmesan on top.

Serves 4