Crisp green beans pair nicely with miso butter, persimmons

Sweet slender green beans (aka haricot verts) are the foundation of this easy holiday vegetable dish. Don’t worry if you can’t find haricot verts; just look for fresh green beans that are not too thick.

I have made my share of green bean dishes, from cold green bean salads to green beans with caramelized lemon or onions.

With this recipe, you have a few ingredients that can partially be made ahead.

The ingredients

Green beans: I like to blanch green beans in boiling water to remove the raw taste and finish them in a hot pan just before serving. You can cook the green beans up to six hours ahead of time and keep them refrigerated in paper towels until needed. Bring them to room temperature first.

Miso butter: Miso butter is a compound butter of white or yellow miso paste and unsalted butter. It adds a unique, rich, umami flavor to the green beans. The miso is salty, so you won’t need more salt.

Fuyu persimmons: Iamabig fan of fuyu persimmons, the small squat variety that becomes sweet and slightly crisp as it ripens. They are only around for a few months, so I like to use them in seasonal recipes.

Make sure to remove the center where the pit is. I peel and cut around the pit, then thinly slice the persimmon. This seems to be the easiest way to work with them. Persimmons add an appealing pop of orange color and a hint of faint sweetness.

This is a lovely side dish for the season. And you can double or triple it if you are having a crowd. Serve with simple grilled or roasted meat or poultry.

SIZZLING GREEN BEANS WITH MISO BUTTER AND

FUYU PERSIMMONS Makes: 4 servings

For the miso butter:

2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter

1 tablespoon white or lightyellow miso

Finely ground black pepper For the green beans:

1 pound small, tender green string beans (haricot verts), cleaned and ends removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

2 ripe fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut into thin slices

1. Combine the butter, miso and pepper in a small bowl. Mix until completely blended. Reserve.

2. In a large saucepan bring enough water to cover the beans to a boil. Immerse the beans and cook until tender but slightly resistant, about 3 to 4 minutes, depending upon how large they are. Rinse the beans in cold water and drain them well.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the beans and stir, turning up the heat to high. Cook the beans for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are sizzling.

4. Add the miso butter and cook for another 30 seconds, making sure the butter evenly coats the beans.

5. Place the beans in a medium serving dish and arrange persimmon slices on top of the beans. Serve immediately.

DIANE ROSSEN WORTHINGTON/TNS You can prepare in advance some components of this sumptuous green bean side dish that celebrates the season’s persimmons.