Blistered Green Beans with Tomato-Almond Pesto

Last night The Portland Kitchen (where I volunteer) held an amazing fundraising event at the Portland Airbnb office and it was a huge success!  I was in charge of selling drink tickets so I didn't get to mingle a ton with everyone but there were a lot of guests and very delicious food and drinks.  I can't say enough how much I love volunteering for such an amazing organization and the focus on our youth and food are two of my major passions.  This time of year is a great time for giving so if you feel so inclined please go to their website and make a donation, every little bit counts!  They have another fun event coming up called Cookies & Cocktails, go check out the event page for more fun details.   Anyway I am so happy that it is Friday, seems as if every week is a long week during the holiday season with so much happening all the time.  I am very excited for this weekend because not only do we get to relax a bunch but we will be attending some fun holiday craft fairs, visit with a good friend from out of town, and we are going to get our Christmas tree!  I am a person who really does love the holiday season, and speaking of my favorite holiday just passed (Thanksgiving) and here is what I made for it.  (Note I forgot to take a picture in the excitement of it all so this photo credit goes to Bon Appetit, which is also where the recipe is from.)

Serves 8

The Ingredients
2 pints cherry tomatoes
¼ cup unsalted, roasted almonds
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds haricots verts or green beans, trimmed


The Process
1.  Preheat oven to 450°. Roast tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, turning once, until blistered and lightly charred, 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2.  Finely chop almonds in a food processor. Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and half of tomatoes; pulse to a coarse pesto consistency. Season with salt and pepper. 


3.  Heat 1½ tsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add half of beans; cook, undisturbed, until beginning to blister, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 7–9 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spread beans out on a platter; let cool. Repeat with remaining vegetable oil and beans. 


4.  Toss beans with pesto; season with salt and pepper if needed. Add remaining tomatoes and transfer to a platter.