French bean salad

French bean salad is a lovely summer vegetable salad that helps use up a surplus of French beans if one is eating predominantly cold food.  It can also be served as a tapas dish.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 5 Mins

Total Time: 1½ Hrs

Ingredients

For 6 servings…

½ kg              Beans  - French       

For cooking the beans

                     Salt          

                     Pepper      

1                    Shallot  - sliced       

1                    Tomato  - small       

  Bouquet garni  

For the dressing

5 cl                 Olive oil    

1 tbs               Vinegar  - white wine 

½ tsp             Mustard  - Dijon      

1                    Shallot  - chopped    

1 sprig            Parsley  - chopped    

                     Pepper      

                     Salt          

To serve

                     Tomato  - slices       

Method

Remove the ends of the beans and break them into two.  Cook them for about 4 minutes in a saucepan of boiling salted water containing pepper, shallot, tomato and bouquet-garnet.  Remove the bouquet-garnet, tomato and shallot.  Drain the beans and leave them to cool.

To preparing the dressing…

Place all the dressing ingredients in sauce bowl and beat well.

Pour the dressing over beans, coating them lightly in a salad bowl.  Add a few slices of tomato.

Wine recommendations

Conventional

     Anjou sec

Interesting

     Côtes de Gascogne

     Mâcon

     Pinot Blanc

     Provence rosé