CSA Chronicles – Tomato & Green Bean Salad with White Balsamic Dressing

In observance of Labor Day, I wanted to share a side that requires almost no labor.  Because you aren’t supposed to do any real work today.  Thinking about going for a morning run? Well, stop thinking about it.  That’s far to strenuous for this holiday.  Instead, get back under the covers with a hot cup of coffee, flip on the television, and find some obnoxious reality TV show marathon to catch up on.

Feel like you should check your work e-mails before heading out to the Labor Day festivities?  Forget it! You can’t forsake this holiday, and all of the acceptable laziness that comes along with it.  Leave the e-mail for tomorrow, when everyone is back to being stressed out and playing catch up on two days worth of work.

Today you should just enjoy the beauty of summer, and the final stretch of great weather before the leaves start to fall and the days get too short.  Today you should only worry about what snack food to munch on and what kind of beer is going to wash it all down.  Maybe you should also consider bringing a dish to pass at your Labor Day party.   Don’t worry. I have the perfect side dish for you to prepare, and it comes together in a matter of minutes! No demanding labor required.  If you can boil water and cut some tomatoes (which I would even consider optional), this is the Labor Day dish for you.

I love how fresh this side dish is, and how easy it is to double or triple to feed a party.  Plus, you can use up some of your more abundant summer crops – tomatoes and beans.  For the past three weeks, we have been getting a variety of these two vegetables in our CSA share, and every week I find myself whipping up this side dish.  I love the color of the purple beans, I only wish they would stay that way once they are blanched! Once they drop in the hot water, they turn that vibrant green color instead.  This side dish goes so well with every main dish you can imagine - pork, chicken, even hot dogs… It’s a light and refreshing way to fill your plate.

Tomato & Green Bean Salad with White Balsamic Dressing

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Serves	4
Prep time	10 minutes
Meal type	Salad, Side Dish

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
• 1 cup green or purple beans (washed and trimmed)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (we used garlic flavored)
• 1.5 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar (we used lemon flavored)

Directions

1.	Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Drop in beans and blanch for about 3 minutes. Beans should still be crunchy, and not too soft. Remove from heat and drain. Place beans into a cold water bath filled with ice to stop the cooking process.
2.	In a large mixing bowl whisk together sugar, olive oil, and white balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Then, add in beans and cherry tomatoes. Toss to combine all ingredients. This dish can be served immediately or refrigerated until needed.

The oil and tangy vinegar combine with the sweet tomatoes and crunchy beans to make this salad pop with a fresh flavors.  We have a local olive oil/vinegar shop, so I’m always using different varieties of these ingredients to add even more flavor to this dish.  This time we used a garlic oil and a lemon white balsamic vinegar.  I loved that extra splash of acidity from the lemon vinegar.  Of course, regular olive oil and vinegar would work here, too.  This dish is full of freshness and is so easy and simple to prepare.  Just like your Labor Day should be!

Looking for more Labor Day ideas?

Stuffed Pepper Chicken Sandwiches

Zucchini Pesto Pasta

Shared with: Scrumptious Sundays, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, On the Menu Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Recipe Linky

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