Recipe: Three Bean Farmers Market Stew with Crostini (using bacon, beans and tomato)

THREE BEAN FARMERS MARKET STEW WITH CROSTINI

"This hearty vegetable-based dish makes a meal on its own, though you can stir in shredded precooked chicken in the end, if you like."

3 slices center-cut bacon, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crush
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 ounces (1-inch) cut Romano beans
6 ounces (1-inch) cut green beans
6 ounces (1-inch) cut yellow wax beans
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced plum tomato (about 5 tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grate Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
Crostini (for serving, recipe follows)

Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside.

Add garlic to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add red pepper; cook 20 seconds, stirring frequently. Add beans and salt; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Stir in broth, rosemary, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

TO SERVE:
Ladle 1 1/4 cups soup into each of 4 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese; serve each with 2 crostini.

CROSTINI

1 teaspoon olive oil
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Brush oil evenly over cut sides of bread; rub bread with cut sides of garlic. sprinkle one side of each piece of bread evenly with rosemary. Arrange slices on a baking sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Idaho Bean Commission