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| Green Bean Salad |
L'il Burnt Toast and I drove south to Penticton on the holiday Monday. The young people flock there in droves when the weather is perfect to float down the canal from Lake Okanagan to Skaha Lake. It would be fun but considering it is a social event as well as a beer fest it is for the young...not that I am not young at heart. Downing beer in the blazing heat would not be my idea of fun at this stage in my life.....well at least not yesterday...wink...wink... Instead we opted for lunch at Vallarta Grill which has been voted the #1 Mexican restaurant in the South Okanagan. It is owned and operated in true Mexican style...not Mexican style food. If we had have been staying in Penticton I would have taken our waiter up on the Tequila Popper from my favourite Cabo Wabo ...hic...hic!!!!
This morning while wandering in the valley I remembered that the local farmers market was also open on Wednesday mornings as well as Saturday. Only a foodie could get excited by the site of heirloom tomatoes, purple green beans, garlic scapes and corn on the cob. My daughter was on a boat South once more to see the Snowbirds.
The purple green beans gave me the idea of making my old standby green bean salad but stepping it up a notch. After blanching them though they became green just like all the others so I was a little disappointed...but oh well..all the flavour was still there.
**Green Bean Salad**
2 cups (500 mL) green beans (or in this case green, yellow and purple)
1 medium red or green pepper, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh herbs (basil, oregano, summer savory)
1/4 cup (60 mL) chives, chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
1/4 cup (60 mL) balsamic or cider vinegar ( I used my old standby apple cider vinegar)
Steam green beans until tender but still crisp. Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes. Add to serving bowl along with red or green peppers, garlic, herbs, and chives. (I also added 1/4 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion)
In smaller bowl, combine mustard, olive oil, and vinegar.
Pour dressing over bean mixture and toss.
Serves 6
You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
Val, your love for summer produce and activities is very infectious...its great reading how excited you get!...enjoy the rest of the summer.
ReplyDeleteWell it sounds fun...except for the beer fest, I'm with you on that one!
ReplyDeleteThe beans look amazing as usual Val!
Oh how I love green beans! This looks mighty tasty, Val.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I haven't had yellow beans since I was a kid. They were called wax beans then. I've never seen a purple bean ... how cool is that! This salad sounds so good with the garlicy herby dressing. I like that you added some sweet onion to it, too. YUM! I think my garden beans will be ready to harvest tomorrow, so perfect timing!
ReplyDeleteI love beans and that salad looks good!
ReplyDeletecheers,
Rosa
We bought some purple potatoes and were disappointed when they were just white under the purple skin. Oh well. These chameleon produce still taste good and the green bean salad was still yummy.
ReplyDeleteThat is one delicious salad. I think purple green beans are the coolest! It sounds like you live in a pretty neat area to be a tourist.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful salad, Val! And yeah, I got mad when my purple beans turned green. lol Happy Vacationing! :D
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely healthy summer salad Val!
ReplyDeleteVal, I am glad you had fun with LBT and take advantage of your days off to be a tourist in your own country. I remember, Carlsberg had a beer festival in Cyprus but we were young and had fun then. This way of making beans is new to me and it sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI am on my way to my parents to pick beans this weekend....I'll make sure to grab some fresh basil also! This sounds delish!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to spend the summer...visiting your home city!!! I drag my family to just about every Farmer's Market that is around. Even on vacation!
ReplyDeleteThe bean salad looks great!
I like the addition of Dijon here, Val. I think it really enhances the flavor of the beans. Purple string beans? Cool! I haven't seen those; though last week for the first time I saw red ones. I guess string beans are starting to strut their stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhat a load of fun on holiday...& foodie fun thrown in adds to it. I love beanie ideas, as I Love all your veggie posts. The beer fest too...fun, fun, fun!!
ReplyDeletewhy haven't i seen purple beans before? i love purple and i love beans, so you'd think i would've known they existed. sometimes i'm just ashamed of myself. :)
ReplyDeleteanyhoo, awesome, fresh, and delicious salad! :)
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but "true Mexican style" does not include tequila poppers! It actually offends a lot of Mexican bartenders according to our bartender buddy and executives from Jose Cuervo we hung out with last time we were in Puerto Vallarta. It was their word of warning for how not to get spit in your food ;-)
ReplyDeleteA beautiful fresh salad Val! My thoughts are with salads at the moment as the holiday beckons. I cannot wait!
ReplyDeleteCheers
David
Hi Val, I am busy packing for a youth camp. I'll be taking 100 youth on a weekend camp from next Thursday.....it made me think of you!!!
ReplyDeletethat looks wonderful, Valli!
ReplyDeleteThat Girl: I don't care for the tequila poppers myself...what I found authentic was the food:D
ReplyDeleteThe purple beans are so cool. We don't have them at the market.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many wonderful things you can do with green beans! There are two different salads that we practically live on in the summer.
ReplyDeleteI love summer green bean salad, the flavour is lovely!
ReplyDelete