New Potato and Green Bean Salad

This is a favorite potato salad for summer barbecues and perfect for a side to our Father's Day dinner today. It's adapted from the July 1994 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. As usual I added an additional garlic clove. I also used the last of some terrific olive oil a dear friend brought me back from Israel and rather than regular balsamic vinegar I used white balsamic vinegar with Madiera just because that is what I grabbed first out of the pantry.

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:



1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:



1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes
3/4 pound fresh green beans
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together all dressing ingredients except oil, then gradually whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.



Steam potatoes until tender. Cool and cut into quarters.
Cook green beans in boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer beans to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Cut beans in half.
Combine beans, potatoes, onion and basil in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cover and let stand at room temperature.)
Ready to serve:


Serves 6

Canyon Ranch Bean Salad

This is a great summer recipe adapted from The Canyon Ranch Cookbook and quite versatile. You can omit or add ingredients as you wish and it keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days. My suggestion is to add the chopped Romaine lettuce just prior to serving as it can get soggy. Tonight I made this and did not add garbanzo beans but rather a 15 oz. can of small Mexican white beans. We have romaine, oregano and basil growing in our garden and ready to pick......so, so good! In a month or so the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers will be ready.



Ingredients
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced black olives
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup diced tomato
3/4 cup cooked white beans
1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 cup chopped hearts of palm

Instructions
1. In a small bowl, combine red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and beat well.
2. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add salad dressing and toss lightly. Divide equally into salad bowls.