Green Bean and Hazelnut Salad: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

2000s Recipes + Menus

Serves 4

Active time:20 min
Start to finish:30 min

ADAPTED FROM DIANE CARLSON, THE CONSCIOUS GOURMET, SANTA FE, AND JENNY MATTHAU

May 2008

Food editor Lillian Chou visited The Conscious Gourmet at their location in Santa Fe for a weeklong retreat in cooking and wellness. With its dose of flaxseed oil, this salad represents an attempt to get more omega-3s into the diet. The hazelnut oil is simply for deliciousness, complementing the toasted nuts and crisp-tender green beans.

1 oz hazelnuts (2 tablespoons)
3/4 lb green beans, trimmed and halved diagonally
2 1/4 teaspoons grainy mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1 teaspoon hazelnut oil
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Preheat oven to 325ºF with rack in middle.
Toast nuts in a small baking pan until centers are golden, 15 to 20 minutes (cut one open to test for doneness). Cool to warm, then rub off any loose skins in a kitchen towel. Coarsely chop nuts.
Cook beans in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water (1 1/2 tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water) until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.
Whisk together mustard, vinegar, and sea salt in a bowl, then add olive, flaxseed, and hazelnut oils, whisking. Add beans, nuts, and onion and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

Cooks’ note: Beans can be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled (once cool) in a plastic bag lined with paper towels.

Photograph by John Kernick