Green Bean Potato Salad

Two things happen this time of year: cookouts and green beans. Cookouts often require you to bring a pot luck dish, and once green beans start being ready in the garden they do not stop, so it’s time to eat them any way you can.

Potato salad is one of the mainstay dishes at a cookout or barbecue, but many times it is made with mayonnaise, which can be sketchy if it is a hot day and food is sitting out at all. Also, I know many people who do not like mayonnaise-based dressings at all, myself included. So I improvised a simple potato salad that is dressed with a shallot and lemon dressing and includes fresh green beans for color and crunch. I’ve made this twice, and both times it has been pretty popular. The first time was for weekday lunch food and it kept well all week, and tasted good every day. The second time was a barbecue and we had it with grilled salmon, green salad, Israeli couscous salad and grilled vegetables – a perfect summer meal to share with friends.

As I am currently on an intensive nutritional reading binge, I also put some thought into this dish from that perspective. Potatoes have gotten something of a bad rap due to their high glycemic index and starchiness. For this salad I prefer to use small new red potatoes, which have a glycemic index in the low 60s instead of the 90s (large white potatoes). In addition, adding green beans and lemon juice reduces the overall impact of the glycemic index further, making this a reasonable dish to eat. Adding green beans also boosts the protein content of the dish, so it ends up having a better nutritional balance. And the fat used is olive oil, which is one of the healthiest fats, and very tasty. Finally, I used turmeric in the dressing, which I learned has potent anti-cancer properties that are activated when it is combined with either black pepper or ginger. And, turmeric adds a nice festive color to the dish.

Green Bean Potato Salad

10 or 12 small red new potatoes, chopped into quarters or sixths
Generous handful fresh green beans, ends trimmed
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
¼ c olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and squeezed
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp Dijon or honey mustard
Salt to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Blanch the green beans for 2 or 3 minutes, until they are bright green and still crisp, and then put them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Add the potatoes to the pot and boil for 8 to 10 minutes or so, until they are easily pierced by a fork. Drain the potatoes and set them aside. Warm the olive oil in a small pan, add the shallots and cook gently until they are soft. Stir in the lemon zest, turmeric and pepper and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and whisk in lemon juice and mustard. Taste the dressing and adjust seasonings according to your preference. Break or cut the green beans into one-inch lengths and toss with the dressing and sliced red onion. Fold green bean mixture and potatoes together.

Don’t forget to do your shopping at the farmers market. Green beans, new potatoes, red onions and shallots should all be available there this time of year. Support your local farmer!