Recipe: Orzo with Feta, Green Beans, and Tomato

ORZO WITH FETA, GREEN BEANS, AND TOMATO
Serve this with sweet corn and peppercorn steaks.

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 1/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into one-inch pieces
2 cups orzo
2 cups crumbled feta cheese (about 12 ounces)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh, flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large kettle about 3/4 full of salted water and bring to a boil.

Cook the onion and garlic in oil over moderate heat until the onion is softened.

Add the tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the tomatoes are soft. This should take about two minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Have a bowl of ice water handy.

Use the boiling salted water to blanch the beans for about one minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the beans well in a colander and pat them dry. Add the beans to the tomato mixture and return the water in the kettle to a boil.

Cook the orzo in the boiling water until it's al dente. Drain in the colander.

Add the orzo to the bean mixture with the feta, vinegar, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix well.