A giant bag of farm-fresh green beans prompted me to solve one of the
age-old questions: what dish should I take to the company picnic?
You know this picnic is going to have a variety of starchy salads, many
of which use mayonnaise as glue. You can count on some pretzels and
chips. Fruit salad in a watermelon bowl. Brownies. Cookies. Cake. And
maybe a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, depending on the exact
company we’re talking about. Nary a vegetable in sight.
French green bean salad may just be the answer: simple, tangy, crisp, fresh, light, summery, and totally picnic-friendly. It guarantees there will be at least one non-artery-clogging selection on the picnic buffet, and it’s a snap to make, to boot: just blanch the beans and coat with a basic vinaigrette. Toss in some garlic and sliced shallots, let it sit and voila! A chic summer salad that’s both unique (at the company picnic) and classic (I mean, it’s French! It’s got shallots and everything!).
After first making this salad for my company picnic using Morris Farm green beans, I then made it
again for my parents using Traverse City Farmers’ Market green beans,
and twice for Scheidt since he came home from Tenerife two weeks ago.
And I don’t plan to stop until the beans run out, and maybe not even
then.
French Green Bean Salad
Adapted from One Pot French
Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed (2 – 4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon dijon* mustard (one large “pthtthththth”, if you’ve got a squeeze bottle.)
1/2 – 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, thyme, chives, basil, tarragon, whatever)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 small or 1 large shallot, very thinly sliced, rounds separated
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fill a large saucepan with water and heat to boiling. Blanch the green beans until 75% cooked – just tender enough to easily spear with a fork, but still quite crisp. 3-5 minutes works for me, depending on the size of the beans. Drain the beans in a large colander and immediately rinse with cold water until the beans are cold.
Meanwhile, as you wait for the water to boil and beans to cook, mix up the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice and the pthththththtth of dijon mustard until combined. Starting very slowly – just a drop at a time – begin to whisk in the olive oil. Whisk the first drop until completely incorporated, then add a larger drop and so on, until the dressing reaches the consistency you desire. Whisk in the minced shallot and chopped fresh herbs.
Once the beans are ready, toss together strained beans, minced garlic and shallot rings. Pour the dressing over the beans until well coated but not drowning – you want most of the dressing to cling to the beans, not pool in the bottom of the dish.** Season with salt and pepper, then chill for at least 1/2 hour before serving. Serve on the same day.
*Do not substitute bright yellow mustard. Dijon is really best here, and there’s no excuse for not have a $2 bottle of it in your fridge.
**You may very well have a good deal of dressing left over – I find I can
get 2 pounds of beans coated with one recipe’s worth of dressing, but
your mileage may vary.
