pesto potato green bean salad

from a very young age i had an affinity for green beans.

while most kids were hating their vegetables, i was OBSESSED.

i often go out to eat and order a side of green beans for my entire meal.

i even used to eat them out of the can. (yes, i'm embarrassed)

i think the glory of the green bean is really in how it's cooked.

and this recipe does them perfectly.

as you can see, i went heavy on the green beans,

and reduced the number of potatoes.

this was fantastic.

the fresh pesto is hard to beat,

and the crunch of the pine nuts and the green onions

against the soft potatoes and perfectly cooked green beans. YUM!

recipe via smitten kitchen

ingredients

4 pounds small yukon fold or red potatoes, quartered

(i used about 1 pound small red potatoes)

1 pound green beans, cut into one inch segments

2 small garlic cloves, peeled

2 bunches of basil (about 1oz each)

(i used about 75% of one of those big boxes of basil)

1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons mild vinegar, such as champagne or white wine

(i only used 2 tablespoons of white wine vingegar)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup pine nuts

parmesan cheese to taste

salt & pepper

directions

1. cook potatoes in large pot of boiling 

salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes.

add beans; cook 4 minutes longer. 

drain well and let cool, then transfer potatoes and beans to a large bowl.

2. meanwhile, discard the stems from the basil. 

puree them in a food processor with garlic, 

drizzling in enough olive oil that it gets saucy.

season the pesto with salt and pepper.

tip: i like my pesto with lots of salt & pepper. be generous.

3. toss the beans and potatoes with pesto. 

stir in vinegar, green onions, pine nuts and season with salt and pepper.

*i didn't think this recipe needed as much vinegar as the recipe called for.

you could even skip it all together. my suggestion is add it 1 tablespoon at a time to taste.

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4. top with parmesan and enjoy!