Holy cow it’s been 2 months since I last posted?!? Needless to say May & June are pretty busy months for me. May is the month of Elliott’s birthday and then I have a big work project that ramps up and ends mid-June. I always feel I need a week or two to catch up and recover from it. Once my busy time is over, I feel like summer is just beginning, and then next thing I know it’s almost 4th of July. I’m sporadic at posting as it is, but as always I’ll try to do better.

Back in mid May we got invited out to have dinner with friends who were grilling an Asian flavored meal. I offered to bring a side, and I knew I wanted to use the perfect, fresh green beans from my Green Bean delivery bin I’d received just the day before. I wanted a simple, light side that made the beans the star, and this was it. The dressing was simple to prepare, and the dish tasted great. I loved that the beans still had their crunch from just a quick boil. This time of year with fresh vegetables the simplest preparation is often the best!

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Green Bean Salad with Asian Style Dressing

Pairs perfectly with an Asian flavored grilled shrimp or steak.

Ingredients:

Dressing
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
a 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

Salad
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 pounds green beans, trimmed

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegars, soy sauce, garlic, ginger root, and sesame oil. Add canola or vegetable oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk until emulsified. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

In a small dry skillet toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and transfer to a small bowl.

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook beans until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer beans to a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain beans well.

In a large bowl, combine beans, sesame seeds, and dressing and toss well. Serve salad chilled or at room temperature.

from Epicurious