Say THAT three times fast! When it comes to green beans, I can honestly take them or leave them. In that green bean casserole we made awhile back, I can absolutely take them. Oh man, that was to die for. Outside of that, I’ll take them in an occasional salad, but it’s just not a vegetable I’m going to go looking for anytime soon. But then there was this salad. This Fresh Green Bean Salad with Crumbled Feta Vinaigrette. And we were back to liking green beans again.
First, there was the feta. It’s the only cheese I’m eating right now, and I love a great feta vinaigrette. And then the crunch of the green beans, fresh from the farmer’s market. And then the fact that this week’s Summerfest 2010 ingredients are herbs, greens, and beans. It all came together rather perfectly. In some karmic sense of food balance. This recipe made a great addition as a side to a chicken wrap that we had for lunch (whole grain wrap, spinach leaves, tomatoes, avocado, sprouts), and for dinner, it would be perfect alongside a nicely grilled steak or chicken.
Just a few minutes to whip together, absolutely packed with flavor and a guilt-free dish you can savor with every bite. Sign me up.
For other inspiration on herbs, greens or beans, be sure to check out all the participating blogs below, and we’d love for you to join in on the fun; you can check out the details here.
White on Rice Couple Todd and Diane use fresh mint to make homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Nicole at Pinch My Salt features Green Beans with Balsamic Browned Butter.
Margaret at A Way to Garden stores a year of herbs—and makes one-pot Farinata a polenta dish with greens.
Food Network UK is on the edge with herbs and greens.
Top 6 Herbs from Healthy Eats.
Leftover Herb Solution (Pesto!) from Allison at Food2.
Recipes for The “Other” Summer Greens from the FN Dish.
Caroline at the Wright Recipes is cooking up Wax and Butter Bean Herbed Salad.
Jennifer and Mark at Gilded Fork have a virtual garden of recipes for basil, cilantro, fennel, lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, sage and tarragon. The recipes include Lavender Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze and Rosemary & Honey-Roasted Pears.
Shauna and Danny at Gluten Free Girl and the Chef share great ideas on what to pair with fava beans.
The Best Bean Salads and a French Take on Greens, Beans and Herbs from the Cooking Channel.
Tigress in a Jam has a preserving–book giveaway, and ways to put up greens, beans, herbs.
Caron at San Diego Foodstuff talks about Kale and Feta Empanadas and roasted Romano beans.
Alana at Eating From the Ground Up has shirred eggs with fresh herbs: the affinity between eggs and herbs.
Kelly at Just a Taste with Fresh Herb Ricotta.
Tara at Tea and Cookies.
Judy at Tuscan Diva with a Fresh Herb Rub.
Paige at The Sister Project has Aloha, Presto.
Project 365
August 10, 2010, Photos #142, 143 and 144
Fresh Green Bean Salad with Feta Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy of What Can I Bring? Cookbook
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds thin green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (I skipped)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (I skipped)
1/4 cup chopped parsley, for garnish (I skipped)
Place the olive oil and oregano in large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the seasoned olive oil aside.
Bring a large pan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook, uncovered, until the beans turn bright green and are crisp but tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain the beans immediately, then run cold water over them to cool them down. Pat the beans dry with paper towels and set aside.
Place the onion and bell pepper in the bowl with the seasoned olive oil and stir to combine. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and feta cheese. Toss the beans with the feta vinaigrette.
Just before serving, top the salad with the toasted walnuts and parsley, if desired.
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I’m the same way with green beans…it would take a truly amazing dish for me to crave them. I’m all about feta lately as well. So who knows, this may just be that dish.
The pictures of Maddie are so cute! Great action shots.
Wow feta and green beans seem like the perfect combo. Thanks for the tip!
And here’s my contribution to this week’s Summer Fest 2010 – Green Bean-Filled Double Corn Muffins with Herbed Yogurt Frosting:
http://achanceofsprinkles.blogspot.com/2010/08/media-musings-and-summer-fest-2010.html
I luv green beans and they are one of the few veggies that I can get my husband to eat.
Looks good. I’d like to try that Vinaigrette on a salad.
The feta vinaigrette sounds yummy , and that onion adds some great color to the beans
For Summer Fest this week, I made pasta with greens, beans, and garlic bread crumbs:
http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/08/pasta-with-greens-beans-and-garlic.html
I’m in!
Summer Fresh Garden Herbs and Compound Butter – http://mysocalledknife.com/2010/08/summer-fresh-garden-herbs-and-compound-butter/
I love your photos there, so adorable.
I am always in need of a good green bean recipe. This looks great.
This week for Summer Fest at It’s The Way She… I made Lemon-Thyme Walnut Biscotti
http://itsthewayshe.blogspot.com/2010/08/summerfest-2010-so-many-herbsnever.html
This looks amazing. This week my recipe is for Green Beans with Cilantro and Lime
http://www.ingredientsinc.net/2010/08/summer-fest-2010-green-beans-with-cilantro-and-pine-nuts/
At Flexitarian Foodie, we’re into beans and greens—together, or separately! Here are a few of our favorite related posts:
Beans & Greens: The Soup
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/04/beans-n-greens-worlds-most-easy-going.html
Creamy Vegetable Lasagna
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/04/transitioning-to-spring-with-veggie.html
Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas (my favorite!!!)
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/05/happy-cinco-de-mayo.html
Love every last bit of this salad. So much so that I’ll probably whip up a batch for dinner tonight.
Adorable photos!
Hip Hip Hooray for Summer Fest!
We’re chatting about preserving herbs over at Simple Bites! We’re trying to capitalize on summer’s abundant crop and store it for winter. In today’s post we cover when to pick herbs, drying and freezing.
Don’t miss out on the comments section either where our very savvy readers swap tips. My favorite? A working girl who dried herbs on trays in her car as it sits in the sun all day. Brilliant!
http://www.simplebites.net/picking-drying-freezing-how-to-preserve-summers-herbs/
Oh, green beans — how I love them! I found an amazing recipe for them with a lemony mustard sauce… that’s my new favorite way to prepare them. Definitely want to try your recipe soon, though! Yum!
What a delicious recipe! The pix of you and your daughter are gorgeous! I have a Maddie too!
Here is my contribution:
http://www.paintchipsandcupcakes.com/2010/08/11/basil-pesto/
Gosh, your blog is just beautiful. It is fresh & happy to visit. those photos of you and your daughter are gorgeous! The green bean salad sounds great :)
Here is my recipe for this weeks Summer Fest, I highlighted Basil:
Grilled Cheese Bruschetta
http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2010/08/10/mozzarella-basil-tomato-grilled-cheese-bruschetta/
I wrote about one of my favorite herbs in honor of this week’s summer fest. It’s anise hyssop, and the post is found here:
http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/anise-hyssop.html
Thanks!
That salad looks refreshing and delicious. I will add feta to these Green Beans with Garlic and Shallots. Great ideas here. My contribution for Summer Fest is here at http://www.dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/green-beans-with-garlic-and-shallots
I always have feta in the fridge. We have a Persian ethnic store near by that offers several different feta varieties very cheaply. So why not indulge? This salad would fit right into our summer menu! What’s not to love about feta, red onion, and green beans (I do love them in almost any incarnation)?
My contribution to the Summer Fest is a story and a recipe for a vegetarian Bean Stew.
http://bibberche.com/2010/08/bean-stew/
Green beans and feta is a perfect combo! The tang of the cheese and the neutral flavor of the beans work so well together. It looks so refreshing too.
I posted a Green Curry Shrimp recipe for my first Summer Fest contribution here: http://bit.ly/96cwR8
For Summer Fest:
We are getting awesome green beans week after week in our CSA.
Two fun things on my blog about Green Beans.
Here is how they were featured at my recent Local Produce Party.
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/green-beans-with-caramelized-shallots.html
And this was a great dish I took to a recent playdate at the lake. YUM!
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/green-beans-and-roasted-tomato-salad.html
I love the mix of green beans and purple onions in this salad… beautiful! And I love anything that includes feta!
Nice receipe…Wanna try it for my hubby
I love this week’s ingredients. I am cooking up a storm with my garden gluts.
One for my bunches of parsley and basil:
http://veganscene.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/cashew-pesto-paste/
And kale, does anyone else have masses of kale to harvest right now?
http://veganscene.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/natural-neon-energy/
http://veganscene.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/gluts/