Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent burning. Remove the almonds from the skillet and set aside.
Add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to the skillet. Sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and marjoram and stir for about 1 minute, until heated through. Remove from the heat.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, the red wine vinegar and the Dijon mustard. Stir in the onion and herb mixture. Whisk well, then set aside.
Slice the Chinese beans diagonally into 4-inch pieces. Bring a large pot of water fitted with a steamer basket to a boil, add the beans and steam for about 3 minutes. Add the chard and steam for 3 more minutes. (If you substitute fresh spinach, steam for 1 to 2 minutes.)
Transfer the beans and chard to a bowl. Stir the vinegar-mustard mixture over the beans, then sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
3 Tbsp. chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh marjoram, sliced
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ lb. Chinese red beans
1 cup Swiss chard or spinach, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2009.