Mom's Green Beans

I can't believe this recipe is not up here.  Unless my searching capabilities have disappeared, it seems that I never posted my mom's wonderful green bean recipe.  Perfect for summer when we are inundated with beans and tomatoes- this dish is just fantastic! The recipe below includes my mom's notes from when she shared this recipe with me in 2007 when I moved out on my own after college. 

Green Beans with Tomatoes (From My Mom!)

What You Need

- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds of green beans (thin french style beans are the best but any would do)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (use 4)
- 1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and chopped  (this is too much onion; no more than 1/2 onion)
- 4 small ripe tomatoes, about 1 pound, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped (Allison note: I like using cherry tomatoes cut in half)
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 4 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

What You Do

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, add the beans and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until beans are about half-cooked and become bright green.  (I use my wok)
2. Reduce heat and add garlic and onion.  Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes, parsley, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper, and continue to cook, tossing occasionally for about another 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced.  Serve immediately, or cool and serve at room temperature.
The recipe makes 4-6 portions.  Note that you can get snazzy with the herbs.  Use what you have from the market or your kitchen garden.  I use fresh oregano and limit the parsley (I'm not a huge parsley fan).  I've also thrown in other summer veggies cut into thin, small pieces such as zucchini and summer squash.