I love a good farmers market. My love affair with them started way back in the 90's when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first one I went to was in Berkeley. Over the years I sampled many, including in El Cerrito, Richmond, San Rafael, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento and of course San Francisco. Each one has its own charm. For example the one in San Rafael was held next to a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Richmond there were live chickens and ducks for sale and Berkeley had fresh butter beans late in the summer.
So it is no surprise that I grabbed some nifty looking beans recently in Sacramento. There were regular green beans and fancy flat beans. So pretty and fresh looking. Grandson Gabriel was visiting so I decided to put together a simple bean salad. Here is how I did it.
Fresh Bean Salad
You should adjust amounts in this recipe to suit you, add more or less of one thing or another. This fed the 3 of us with no leftovers.
about 1 cup assorted fresh beans, washed and cut into inch pieces
1/2 cucumber (present from my neighbor) seeded and julienned into inch pieces
1/4 onion, julienned
2/3 cup or so of cherry tomatoes, assorted sizes and colors, leave them whole
about 10 basil leaves (from my yard)
wine or sherry vinegar, use something a little fruity and not too dark so the colors of the veggies show
olive oil
salt and pepper
Cook the beans to how you like them by adding them to boiling salted water. Mine were softened but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Cool the beans, I put chopped ice on them after draining to stop them from cooking. Put everything but the dressing and the basil together. Toss gently. I held this in the refrigerator for about 5 hours and it was fine. Right before serving drizzle olive oil on, about a tablespoon, and about a tablespoon of vinegar. Add salt and pepper. Toss, taste and make any adjustments you think necessary. Tear large basil leaves and add them to the salad. Toss again and serve. So refreshing on these hot summer days.
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