WEEK 50: YOUR BEST STRING BEAN SALAD
Lemony Green Bean Salad with Feta,
Red Onion, and Marjoram
Photography by Sarah Shatz
BY MIDGE | SERVES 4
A&M: In her introduction to this recipe, Midge explained: “During the Mary land summer when it was too hot to turn on the oven, our friend John would grill a couple of steaks or whole fish to perfection and toss together a simple Greek salad of ripe tomatoes, red onion, feta, and marjoram. I use lemon juice here instead of red wine vinegar and green beans when tomatoes aren’t in season, and when they are, both are terrific.” On the surface, this salad seems like one you see at every barbecue—except that it’s more lemony, only gently oniony, fragrant with marjoram, and entirely balanced. The secret? A dash of agave nectar in the dressing, which sweetens and smooths the lemon and feta.
1 pound green beans, tops removed
1 lemon, juiced and zested
¼ cup best-quality olive oil
Dash agave nectar (or sugar to taste)
¼ red onion, super-thinly sliced
4 ounces feta, crumbled
3 to 4 fresh marjoram sprigs, leaves stripped and roughly chopped (oregano is great, too)
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Throw in the green beans and cook for about 4 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, and agave nectar.
- Combine the beans, red onion, feta, and marjoram in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. Chill until those steaks come off the grill.
Photography by Sarah Shatz
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Make sure you don’t overcook the green beans—you want them to snap under your teeth.
Midge said: “Regarding raw onion, I was just paging through one of my Nigella Lawson cookbooks and she suggests letting sliced onion steep in the oil and vinegar (in this case, lemon juice) for 2 hours to take the edge off.”
ABOUT THE COOK
Margaret Loftus is a writer and editor living in Boston, Massachusetts.
Her favorite entertaining tip: “Was it Julia Child who said never call your guests’ attention to the fact that you’ve botched a dish?”
Her top cooking tip: “Always finish your chopping before you start drinking wine.”
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
Elise: “I’ve made this several times for having people over, and it’s always a hit with dinner guests—not to mention that I love it (I’d eat it every day if I could). I’ve used shallot instead of red onion, and that works well, too.”