Lean and Green (or yellow)

We are in the last full week of summer and I, for one, am looking forward to cooler temperatures in the next few weeks. It’s been a long, dry summer here in Minnesota as my hot mess of a kitchen garden can attest to. I’m holding out hope for the one bean plant and a few potatoes that escaped the ravages of our rascally rabbits. I’ve also noticed the tables at the farmer’s markets are a bit less voluminous this year, and in talking with the farmers I see each week, I know it’s been a challenging season all around.

When I stopped at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market at House of Hope Church on Friday, I spotted a bounty of beautiful beans. This simple, savory and stunning String Beans with Lemon Vinaigrette recipe is a late summer winner. I invite you to hit up your local farmer’s market this week, grab a couple of cartons, and whip up this salad to share on Labor Day weekend.

Stay tuned next week for an update about all our fall plans here in KilKenney Kitchen. (Hint -they include an open house, cooking classes and new, delicious meals and soups to go)

As always, I welcome your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Enjoy the holiday weekend and lovely last days of summer.

5 from 1 vote

String Beans with Lemon Vinaigrette

These fresh, lovely beans make a perfect summer salad. The light lemon vinaigrette adds a touch of brightness while letting the beans shine. Enjoy with your favorite summer meal.

Servings 4 people

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 large lemon
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil your best olive oil
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 pound fresh string beans green, yellow and/or purple

Instructions

Make the Lemon Vinaigrette

• Zest the lemon with a Microplane or peel and chop very fine
  
• Squeeze the lemon juice into a small jar and add the salt and pepper
  
• Add the olive oil to the jar. I like it to be roughly half lemon juice and half olive oil, but feel free to adjust to your taste
  
• Grab your fresh thyme (or dried thyme if you don’t have fresh). I love the smell of thyme, subtle and rustic.
  
• Slip the thyme leaves off the stems and add them to the vinaigrette (or just add your dried thyme)
  
• Cover the jar and give it a good shake to emulsify the ingredients. Let it sit while you make the beans, taste and adjust the seasonings.
  

Prepare the beans

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Trim the end off the beans and place them in the boiling water until just tender – 4 to 5 minutes.
  
• While the beans are blanching, fill a large bowl with ice and water
  
• Once the beans are just tender, remove them from the boiling water and place them in the ice water
  
• Let the beans sit in the water until they are completely cool – a couple of minutes
  
• Remove the beans and let drain. You can refrigerate the beans like this until you are ready to serve them
  
• Place the beans in a serving dish and sprinkle with the lemon zest
  
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the beans. They make a beautiful salad or side dish on a warm summer evening
  
• Serve them with all your summer favorites. We loved them this week with a Caprese salad, fresh corn and some delicious burgers.