Bean Salad – a modern take on a classic!
July 22, 2014
Aunt Suzy says . . .
We love green bean salads in the summer here at S&SK, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. Plus, it reminded me of the long forgotten 3-bean salad of my growing up. So long forgotten that I kept wracking my brain as to what the 3rd bean was. I knew it included canned green beans and canned kidney beans, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember the 3rd bean. So of course I googled it and saw that it was wax beans! So if you want this recipe to look like the classic but taste 21st century, you could make it with green and wax beans (at farmer’s markets up here right now) and kidney beans. 🙂 We served this with potato salad and grilled meats. Yum!
Margaux says . . .
We loved this recipe! I’m always looking for new ways to prepare green beans because it is a family favorite. The flavor in this salad is amazing, with the capers, herbs, shallot and lemon. I used canned cannellini beans. I served it with California burgers and corn on the cob…perfect summer weeknight meal.
BEAN SALAD adapted from Bon Appetit
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked beans, fresh or dried (such as cannellini, borlotti or cranberry) or 1 14-oz. can cannellini or kidney beans, rinsed
1 pound green beans (or half green and half wax beans), ends trimmed, beans snapped in two
3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 or 1 whole lemon, depending on how large
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Cook the dried or fresh shell beans according to directions. Drain and set aside to cool. Alternatively, open the can, rinse and drain. Cook the green beans (and wax beans if using). Place in steamer, bring water to a boil and steam for 5-6 minutes. Alternatively, cover in water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Either way, drain, place back in the pan, cover with cold water and ice to cool down and stop the cooking. Once cool, drain and dry with paper towels.
Place both types of beans in a large bowl. Add the parsley, chives, capers and lemon zest. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, the shallot, the red pepper and salt/black pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and mix thoroughly, best done with your hands.
Celery Salad with Pecorino Romano
August 29, 2010
Aunt Suzy says
If you like celery, olive oil and a salad with crunch, this is a salad for you! When we purchased shallots at the Madison, Wisconsin farmer’s market recently to make Braised Chicken in Shallot-Mustard Sauce, I remembered this recipe. I was delighted to see celery grown by one of my favorite local vendors, Loon Organics at our farmers market the following weekend. When I brought the celery home, Randy was doubtful because we have had bad past experiences with locally grown celery sold at our co-op. But this looked good so I perservered, and we loved the resulting salad. The celery was much more flavorful than that grown in California, not to mention that it is local and organic. (Celery is near the top of the Dirty Dozen list of pesticide laden produce only second to apples.) Even if you don’t think you would like an entire salad featuring celery, I encourage you to try this refreshing option.
12 celery ribs, thinly sliced crosswise 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small head of red or green leaf lettuce, leaves torn into bit-size pieces
One 4-ounce piece of pecorino romano cheese
Place the sliced celery into a medium bowl filled with water and ice and let soak for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 until very crisp. Meanwhile, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together in a medium bowl. Add the chopped shallot and season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Transfer to a platter or individual serving plates. Drain the sliced celery from the ice-water bath and dry thoroughly in a towel or with paper towels. Add the celery to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon, scatter the celery over the lettuce. Shred the cheese on the large holes of a box grater and scatter over the salad. Drizzle all with the dressing that remains from the celery mixture. Note: we did not use as much cheese as called for, thinking less is more in this case!
Summer Salads – Beat the Heat!
August 10, 2010
Aunt Suzy says
The heat that has been plaguing the rest of the country has finally caught up with us here in the Upper Midwest. On Sunday it was mid-90’s with bright sun and humidity, so Randy and I decided to make a variety of salads for our main meal. We split the cooking, which allowed us time to play a cribbage game – one of our favorite things to do on a Sunday afternoon.
These salads are either no-cook or minimal cooking, like sauteeing a few items. Two of the salads are from a previous post – Tuna with Roasted Peppers and Pine Nuts, which includes a link to the Morrocan-inspired Carrot Salad with Feta from Smitten Kitchen. (The carrot salad uses Harissa.) I am excited to have recently purchsed a new-fangled Julienne Peeler, which I think makes for a crunchier and lighter carrot salad than a box grater. We also made White Bean and Arugula salad from Mark Bittman’s great 101 Salads N Y Times article from last summer. (If you need salad ideas, check this out!) And lastly, we made one of our favorites, Zucchini Carpaccio with Arugula and Shaved Parmesan. All made more delicious with the refreshing French rose wine we served wtih the meal. So if it’s hot where you live, stay cool with one or more of these delicious salads!
White Bean and Arugula Salad
August 10, 2010
Aunt Suzy Says
This salad from Mark Bitman’s 101 Salads article was part of our summer salad extravaganza on Sunday. We had all the ingredients on hand and really enjoyed how the flavors blended together.
2 15-ounce cans cooked cannellini beans
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups baby arugula or baby spinach (we used arugula)
1-2 cloves garlic, sliced (we used one gigantic one from the farmer’s mkt)
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1/4-1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 Tablespoons EV olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Mix the beans, cherry tomatoes and arugula or spinach together in a medium bowl. In a small skillet, lightly toast the sliced garlic in the olive oil along with the rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cool slightly. Add the lemon zest and juice, stir to blend and then pour over the bean mixture. Serve at room temperature.
Sweet & Savory Kitchens 