Salad of Green Beans, Tomatoes, and Quickled Purplette Onions

Bright and flavorful, this salad is easy to dress up and turn into a light main course with the addition of a can of tuna, croutons, olives, etc.

INGREDIENTS:

1-1½ pounds green beans, topped, cut into 2 to 3 inch lengths if you wish

3 ripe tomatoes (enough to equal around 2 cups diced), cored, seeded over a strainer and juices reserved, and cut into roughly ¼ inch dice

1 batch of Purplette Onion Quickles (See recipe on site)

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 tablespoon quickle liquid

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoons fresh thyme, minced

¾ cup light flavored Extra Virgin Olive oil, such as something from France or Spain (avoid Tuscan oils for this salad as it is too spicy)

Salt and pepper to taste

–Optional– 6-8 cups lettuce or arugula, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized bits

METHOD:

Place the thyme, a little salt and pepper, reserved tomato juices, quickle liquid, and vinegar into a non-reactive bowl and whisk to combine. Allow flavors to marry 10 minutes, then slowly whisk in the oil in a thin steady stream. Set dressing aside.

Prepare a steamer large enough to hold the beans (or, if you don’t have a steamer, just bring a volume of water large enough to cover the beans by 2-inches to a boil) to a boil. Add the beans and cook until done. The beans should be tender with a little bit of resistance to them still. Remove from the steamer/water and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly.

Put the beans into a bowl and drizzle with enough dressing to lightly coat the beans. Season with a little salt and pepper and place on a platter or plates. Put the tomatoes in the bowl and lightly dress and add half the onions. Distribute on the salad. Scatter the rest of the onions over the salad(s), then sprinkle evenly with the pine nuts. The salad is ready to serve.

If you choose to add lettuce to the salad, put the lettuce or arugula into the bowl and drizzle with enough dressing for the lettuce and tomatoes. Toss to combine, then add the green beans and combine gently before plating. Proceed as above.

Chef’s Notes: To expand this salad into dinner, add tuna or anchovies, olives, croutons, halved hard-boiled quail eggs or quartered hen’s eggs.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen