Braised Green Beans with Garlic, Tomatoes, Olives, and Capers

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 2 tsp. finely minced fresh garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 8-10 Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 T capers
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

1. Trim the ends from the green beans. A quick way to do it is to gather a handful, tap them against the cutting board so one side lines up, slice off the tips, and then do the same on the other end. Roughly chop the Kalamata olives, and finely mince the garlic.
2. Warm the olive oil in a heavy skillet with a lid over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, only until it smells fragrant.
3. Add the green beans to the skillet and toss them around until they’re coated in the hot oil. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the chopped Kalamata olives, the capers, and 2 T water.
4. Turn the heat down to low, put the lid on the skillet, and let everything simmer for about 20 minutes, until the beans are just beginning to soften. Check and stir them a few times as they cook. If the beans are larger, they may need a little more time.
5. Once the beans are barely tender, uncover the skillet, increase the heat to medium, and cook until the extra liquid has cooked off, likely no more than 1 or 2 minutes. If you’re adding the thinly sliced fresh basil, stir it in now.
6. Taste and season the beans with salt and fresh ground black pepper, then serve them hot.