Green Bean Salad

Fresh green bean salad.

Green beans. I love them. They are probably one of my favorite vegetables.

During the summer I am always making things like cold salads to minimize turning on the stove and heating up the kitchen. This recipe requires a quick blanch in boiling water but it is quick.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Green beans, ends removed and cut into bite size pieces
• Shallots, minced
• Dijon Mustard
• Mirin
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Fresh Tarragon

This recipe involves the traditional blanching and shocking method. It means that you cook the veggie in bowling water just to blanch it. The veggie should be slightly cooked, but still retain some crunch, they should not be mushy. Once they are blanched you put them into an ice bath with stops the cooking process and also helps to retain that beautiful color.

Get a big pot of water on to boil, add some salt. Clean the green beans, take off the stem end, then cut them into even bite size pieces. Get a bowl ready with cold water and some ice cubes thrown in to get it really cold for shocking. Blanch the beans in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove quickly and shock in a bowl of cold water. This will only take a minute. Remove from the water and pat dry.

Make a vinaigrette by putting everything into a bowl and then whisking together. Add the beans and toss. Put it into a container and store in the refrig.

I love the flavor of fresh tarragon so use it when you can. It is not always available so use dried it need be. When using fresh herbs I always use more than I would if I use dried.

This is a good dish for a picnic.