Son of Pike Place Dinner

When G when to the market last Monday she picked up some beautiful green beans -- about a pound and a half of them.  Thankfully, they kept well in the refrigerator and were still good last night when we finally decided what to do with them.  Unfortunately, our stomachs and the weather were not on the same page.  For the first time this year, G was EXTREMELY tempted to turn on the furnace.  It seemed like every news source was breeding fear about the weather change.  Still, G and I decided to make a nice cold salad.  We're livin' in the past.

The Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds slender green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise
• 3 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 2 large red potatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 9 ounces canned tuna packed in oil, drained

The Preparation

1. Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Using a mesh strainer, transfer the green beans to a large bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain the green beans and pat dry with a towel. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the same cooking liquid and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the potatoes to the simmering liquid and cook until they are just tender but still hold their shape, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the ice water to cool completely. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with a towel.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, garlic, oil, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the tomatoes, basil and parsley in a large serving bowl. Add the tuna and toss gently to combine. Add the green beans and potatoes and gently combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Oh, and those wonton crisps look familiar, right?  They're just a modification of the wonton crisps we made earlier.  This time, with a little added parmesan cheese on them before baking.

Overall, the salad tasted pretty good.  We didn't end up using all of the dressing.  But, I would definitely hold off until next summer before we made this again!

(Thanks to Giada de Laurentis for the recpie)