Green Bean Salad - Chef Zeb Humphrey's recipe

Green Bean Salad with Sweet Pickled Onions and Hazelnuts.

One Great Dish:  Chef Zeb Humphrey Serves Up Beans   

Spring and summer sometimes just scream for fresh and delicious.  If it’s a relatively simple dish, but one that still draws raves what could be better? When  I recently spent some quality time with Chef Zeb Humphrey from North Italia and wrote about him in my last blog, he shared a guaranteed great dish that is just one such bonanza.  One huge advantage is that both the pickled onions and vinaigrette are in large quantities and highly storable for other uses.  So here it is:  Green Bean Salad with Sweet Pickled Onions and Hazelnuts. 

PHOTO BY JOHN KERNICK

The Beans:

This is a serving for four.

1 pound fresh green beans, ends cut off if you don’t like them, blanched until tender

8 ounces toasted hazelnuts (toasted at 300 degrees until golden)

8 ounces ricotta salata (grated)

4 tsp chopped fresh basil

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

4 ounces sherry vinaigrette

4 ounces French bread crumbs

Toss all ingredients in a bowl except herbs and extra virgin olive oil together until thoroughly coated.  Season to taste; garnish with herbs and swizzle of olive oil, bread crumbs and 1 ounce more ricotta salata.

The Sweet Pickled Onions:

This yields 2 pints.

4 red onions (thick julienned cut)
2 cups red wine vinegar  

2 cups brown sugar  

2 cups water 

1 T salt    

1 T pepper 

½ cup extra virgin olive oil 

Place all ingredients except the onions in a sauce pot and bring to a simmer. Once simmering remove liquid from heat and let cool down until chilled. Pour pickling liquid over onions. Label, date and store in refrigerator.

The Sherry Dijon Vinaigrette

This yields one quart

2 red onions (thin julienne)                                               

20 garlic cloves (shaved . . . and yes, 20)   
4 cups olive oil              

2 cups sherry vinegar             

1 cup Dijon mustard

½ cup white sugar

Sauté onion and garlic with 1 T of the oil until slightly brown on medium high heat. Add sugar and reduce heat to medium. Once the sugar has melted add vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes more. Finish with Dijon mustard. Season to taste. Label, date, and store in refrigerator.

Happy Spring say I!