Flat Beans With Mustard Thyme Vinaigrette Food

EASY MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, chopped peppers, onions, capers and fresh herbs. Mix using a wooden spoon.
• In a small bowl, add the vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk vigorously to combine.
• Add the vinaigrette to the salad bowl. Toss to coat.
• For best results, cover and refrigerate for a bit before serving so that beans soak up the vinaigrette flavors. Give the salad another quick toss before serving.

FLAT BEANS WITH MUSTARD THYME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Whisk together vinegar, mustard, thyme, garlic, and 1/2 tsp each of kosher salt and pepper, then whisk in oil in a slow stream until well-blended.
• Cook beans in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain, then toss with dressing and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FINGERLING POTATO SALAD WITH HONEY-THYME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Scrub the potatoes and cook in boiling water with the 1 tsp salt until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and spread on a cookie sheet to cool. Halve lengthwise when cool enough to handle.
• Trim and halve haricots verts or green beans. Drop into 3 cups boiling water, return to boil, reduce heat and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and drop into a bowl of ice water. Let stand 5 minutes, then drain well.
• For vinaigrette, mix vinegar, shallot, honey, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper in food processor or blender and process until smooth. With processor or blender running, slowly pour in the oil in a steady stream, until the mixture is thickened.
• In a large salad bowl, combine the potatoes, beans and red onion. Drizzle over enough dressing to coat everything thoroughly. Cover and chill from 2 to 24 hours.Serve.
• Just before serving, toss salad with bacon and top with feta. Serve additional vinaigrette on the side, or reserve for another use.
• Note1: Fingerling potatoes are not around just now, so I used red potatoes that I peeled and cut into quarters or eights, which worked very nicely. I have also added some sweet potatoes to the other potatoes, and that was good, too.
• Note2: I mixed the vinaigrette in a 2 cup measuring cup with my stick blender, which worked perfectly.
• Note3: Extra dressing keeps for several weeks, according to chef, but I used it up faster than that.
• Note4: This makes a whole lot more salad than I can use. I just cook up two or three potatoes, a good handful of the beans and drizzle a bit of the dressing on it. Once you make the dressing, this is a snap.
• Note5: I use just a slice or two of bacon per serving, and often don't use it at all. I think chunks of good ham or turkey would be really nice in this, too.

WILTED AUTUMN GREENS WITH HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Peel the squash: First cut into two cross sections, scrape out the seeds, and place the squash, flat side down, on a cutting board. Work around the squash with a sharp knife or peeler, making sure to remove the layer of lighter colored flesh under the skin as well as the skin. Dice into 1/2-inch cubes to make about 1 cup (reserve any leftovers for another use).
• Arrange the diced squash and pears on a baking sheet and toss with the oil. Roast until browned, about 20 minutes; set aside at room temperature.
• Make a cross slit on the rounded end of each chestnut with a sharp paring knife. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until the cut sections on the bottoms of the nuts just start to curl. Peel the chestnuts as soon as they are cool enough to handle, as they will peel the easiest when hot. Cut into quarters and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Wrap the shallots in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil. Bake until tender and slightly caramelized, about 1 hour. Once the shallots are cool enough to handle, chop coarsely and set aside.
• To make the vinaigrette: In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy; transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the fat in the pan. Once the fat has cooled slightly, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup that has a spout. in a blender or food processor, combine the mustard, honey, vinegar, thyme, and pepper and blend for 30 seconds. Slowly add the strained warm bacon fat and the oil through the cap of the blender or the feed tube of a food processor, blending until thoroughly combined Pour the vinaigrette into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the squash and pears, chestnuts, shallots, bacon, komatsuna, tatsoi, and mustard greens to the mixing bowl and toss with the warm vinaigrette. Serve immediately.