Nothing personifies summer more to me than sipping crisp rose and eating chilled oysters or tart and tangy ceviche. Aside from the sticky and thick atmosphere that engulfs New York, summer pleasures can be simplified into hours slipping away at an outdoor cafe with animated conversation and ice cold wine. It also marks the beginning of my CSA. This is my second year as a supporter and participant in a local organic farm share. I love the unpredictability and challenge of receiving a bounty of produce and farm fresh eggs every week. There is also an inexplicable freshness and crunch that the produce has that you cannot obtain from your local Whole Foods. This past week’s bounty consisted of: kale, swiss chard, zucchini, green beans, mint, basil and mixed greens.
Seasonal Wild King Salmon was purchased, and a sort-of-salmon nicoise was created. Beans were blanched, eggs hard-boiled, and salmon lightly seared. That was the extent of stove top use for this light and summery meal. I tossed the crisp beans in tangy and herby mustard vinaigrette and served the dressing along side the salmon for additional drizzling.
Sort-of-Salmon Nicoise
Serves 2
Herby Mustard Dressing
(Makes a little more than you need, but lasts for a few days in the fridge.)
- 2 tbsp of Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped chives
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a sealable container and mix well
Salad
- 3/4 lb Wild King Salmon
- 3/4 cup green beans blanched
- 2 eggs, hard boiled-shells removed and quartered
- 2 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Additional salad mix-ins: chickpeas, avocado, red onion, and roasted red pepper
Clean and thoroughly dry salmon and coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Heat a pan to medium heat. Place salmon skin side up in the pan, and sear for 3-4 minutes a side. I tend to gravitate toward cooking the salmon on the rare side, but cook to your palate’s preference. Once cooked, you can serve immediately, bring to room temperature, or chill. Arrange greens on a platter. Gently toss beans with about a tablespoon of dressing and scatter on top of lettuce. Add egg and any additional mix-ins. Place salmon on top of salad and serve dressing on the side.
Long and crunchy, these lean beans pack some serious nutritional punch:
Green beans are a great source of Vitamin K. This fat-soluble vitamin plays an essential role in blood clotting and serves as an anti-coagulant. Vitamin K also has a prominent role in maintaining bone health. Since Vitamin K is fat-soluble, the Vitamin must be in the presence of a fat to get fully utilized. For this meal, I used healthy fats found in olive oil and avocado, which not only added their own beneficial attributes, but assisted with Vitamin K absorption.
Green beans are also a good source of Thiamine aka B1. Thiamine helps support the body’s metabolism rate and aids the immune system. Thiamine also serves an important role in athletic performance, as it assists with energy production during exercise.
So get your crunch on with these little beanies, which have come a long way from your Grandmother’s casserole.