Ingredients:
1/2 pound (225 grams) regular green beans or skinnier haricots verts
One 15.5-ounce (440-gram) can large white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (115 grams, or 1 cup)
2 tablespoons (25 grams) drained capers
1-1/2 cups (30 grams) fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons (30 grams) red- or white-wine vinegar
5 tablespoons (70 grams) olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1/2 cup (50 grams) Parmesan, chopped into mixed-sized rubble (optional)
Right after your smiling faces—sorry, that was grimacingly twee—
a bowl of this salad is the thing I want to see most on a blanket at
a summer picnic. Why? It's a marinated salad that is excellent fresh or,
later, cold or at room temperature. Long beans, short beans, something
crunchy, an herb dressing—this is an oasis of summer freshness and tex-
ture. The cheese is optional, in case you wish to keep it dairy-free or just
want to home in on the fresher ingredients. The crunch is not, but there's
some flexibility here as to how you get to it. The star is the basil vinai-
grette, which is what happens when you crave pesto but want the acidity
of a vinaigrette. It goes well on everything in the summer, so, if you have
an overflowing basil plant about to flower, whack it down and make a
big jar of this dressing. Your tomatoes, grilled summer squash, and even
grain or lentil salads will thank you.
If you do not care for fennel, you can replace it here with 1 cup of
thinly sliced celery. Oh, you don't like celery, either? Try half a white
onion, thinly sliced. No raw onion, eh? You could add some thinly sliced
radishes, because crunch is important here. But I think you are missing
out on the fennel.
Trim the green beans, and cut them into large segments. In salted water,
boil the green beans for 2 minutes (1-1/2 minutes for haricots verts), until
crisp-tender, heavier on the crisp. Drain the beans, and plunge them into
ice water to cool them fully. Drain again, pat them dry on a towel, and
place them in a large bowl. Add the white beans, fennel, and capers.
In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, Dijon mustard, and vinegar until the herbs are well chopped. With the machine running, drizzle
in 5 tablespoons olive oil in a thin stream. Season very well with salt and
black pepper; then add more vinegar and/or oil to taste. You might need
to scrape the machine down a few times to get all of the leaves minced.
Pour the vinaigrette over the beans and turn to coat them in the bowl. Add
the cheese, if using. Taste, and adjust seasoning.