Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad


I picked up some wonderful things at our neighborhood's farmer's market this past Friday.  I grabbed three zucchini and three yellow squash, a huge bunch of basil, several peaches, some plums, red potatoes, and green beans.  Sunday night we had grilled turkey Italian sausage with lemon basil pesto-roasted bell peppers and zucchini.  It is amazing how delicious freshly made pesto is.  And the combination of the cheese and the pine nuts gave the roasted vegetables a rich flavor and helped them caramelize nicely.  

Last night, I used the potatoes and green beans to make this very tasty warm green bean and potato salad a la Martha Stewart.  While it calls for four slices of bacon, I think two would be just fine.  I recommend crisping up the bacon first and using a tablespoon of the rendered fat in place of the olive oil. Then, continue as suggested in step two.  This gives you a less greasy result!   The lemon juice adds a nice acidity to the dish, but a little white balsamic or red wine vinegar would also do in a pinch.

Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad
Serves 4
1 pound red new potatoes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  1. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with 2 inches salted water. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
  2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high; add potatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, mashing potatoes slightly, until golden brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.
  3. Add bacon to skillet. Cook until bacon is browned, about 3 minutes. Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add to potatoes along with lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.
Have you visited your farmer's market lately?  What have you been buying?

10 comments:

  1. Ok that's it, you've inspired me! I'm making this salad tonight :-)

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  2. I love this type of potato salad. Well OK, I love any type of potato salad.

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  3. Yummy yummy. That looks so good!!!! Those green beans seriously brought back memories for me all of a sudden!! When we were younger my mom used to buy the green beans and wash them and then we would always snap off the ends. It was so fun back then! LOL

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  4. That green bean and potato salad sounds so good! Most of the farmer's markets here are closed for the summer since our growing season starts around October/November. We found one open the other day and stocked up on different varieties of peppers, watermelons, peaches, and tomatillos.

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  5. Delish and healthy too! You are inspiring me to cook and break in our new kitchen. ;)

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  6. I WISH we had a farmer's market. Le sigh. That dish looks amazing!

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  7. I love green beans so much. This sounds so yummy! It's been a while since I went to the farmer's market. I really should take advantage of having such a great one nearby too. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  8. Ooooh, this looks fabulous! I love cooking with fresh ingredients form the farmer's market!
    xo Josie
    http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com

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