Green Bean Summer Salad

Adapted from Marie Simmons Fresh and Fast Vegetarian (this is a great cookbook and you should get it!)

This may be the best time of year for those of us who try to eat locally and thus with the seasons. Tomatoes are finally here! This along with everything fresh, bright, and crunchy that makes you think of summer (I'm looking at you corn!). This almost absurdly simple salad looked too boring to be delicious, but I was wrong! It really reminded me of an episode of the a Chef's Life on PBS in which Chef Vivian Howard opts to simplify her dishes in the spirit of letting the ingredients shine. There is something really beautiful about that concept and this salad is a great way to celebrate it.

Green Bean Summer Salad
1 pound green beans split into 1 inch pieces  (wax beans work here too!)
2 ears of corn, kernals cut off the cob
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup basil, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste (don't hold back!)

Combine all ingredients vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Make sure that the toss has spread out the basil thoroughly since it's the heart of the flavor profile Combine olive oil and lemon juice and give them a good stir before pouring it over the salad. The freshness of the ingredients is key here, so consider this a good option to make as soon as you get home from the Farmer's Market or store.

Cajun Style Ooey Gooey Green Bean Casserole

Sometimes you just need something warm and comforting that barely counts as healthy. This has got lots of green beans and veg that adds flavor, but the predominate feature is the cream. Yummy rich cream that bakes into a gooey delight. Make this for yourself the next time you want something decadent, but want to at least get some nutrients with all of that fat. I was inspired by an episode of Diners Drive-ins and Dives feature on the Old Coffeepot Restaurant's Big Easy Green Bean Casserole. That recipe is here on the food network website, but you must always remember that no one tries those before they post the video, so they always need some adaptation. My version uses vinho verde instead of sherry and coconut oil instead of butter. The idea of using artichoke hearts and bell peppers in the stock base was brilliant and gave this a true Cajun flavor, that I love! I left out the carrots to keep the sweetness down and didn't regret it.

Cajun Style Ooey Gooey Green Bean Casserole
1 pound green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
1 quart heavy cream
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup artichoke heart bottoms, diced
1/4 cup bell peppers, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup white wine(I used vinho verde, just go with what you have)
2 cups vegetable stock (maybe the Joe Yonan version you made at home)
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons salt

Add coconut oil to the bottom of a large dutch oven or other deep pot with onions, celery, bell pepper, and artichoke heart bottoms with a teaspoon of salt. After the vegetables have a golden brown to them, add the white wine and green beans and continue to stir until about 1/2 of the liquid has evaporated. Add the vegetable stock and another tablespoon of salt and simmer for 10 minutes (green beans should be getting soft). Turn on your oven and set to 350 degrees so it has time to pre-heart. Turn the heat to low and add the cream and stir at which point the mixture will look a lot like a cream of mushroom soup with green beans in it.


While that mixture is on low, combine the cold water with corn starch to make a slurry. Slowly stir it into the pot to thicken the mixture. Pour the whole thing into a casserole dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs before popping it into oven for 15 minutes, allowing the top to get a golden brown cover. Serve in a bowl and enjoy!