Hot German Green Bean Salad

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4-6
Date made: 6/19/2011

1 lb green beans, trimmed*
3 slices bacon
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 small onion, sliced into rings*
1/4 c cold water
2 tsp corn starch

Cook green beans in boiling water until barely tender.
Drain, reserving 1/4 c cooking liquid, and set aside.
Fry bacon until crisp, and remove all up 2 Tbsp of drippings from the fry pan.
Drain bacon and crumble, set aside.
Add sugar, vinegar, salt, and onion to bacon drippings along with green bean cooking liquid.
Mix water and cornstarch together in bowl until dissolved.
Stir into fry pan, and cook until thick and clear, stirring constantly.
Add cooked beans and heat through.  Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Green Beans Amandine

Adapted from Joy of Cooking, serves 4
Date made: 5/1/2011

1 lb green beans, trimmed*
1/4 c almonds
dash of vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to tasted

Bring water to a boil in medium pot.  Add green beans and cook until tender, 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat oil in small skillet over medium heat.
Add almonds and toast for 2-5 minutes.  Drain beans and add to almonds.  Add vinegar, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

Cucumber Salad

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4
Date made: 5/1/2011

3 c cucumbers, thinly sliced*
1 c onion, thinly sliced*
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp dill

Place cucumbers and onion in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt.  Let stand for 1 hour, then drain.
Mix remaining ingredients together in a small saucepan.  Bring to boil, cook and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over cucumbers and onion.
Cover and marinate in refrigerator for several hours.  Serve chilled.


YUM.  Need I say more?  Maybe next time I'll experiment a little more with seasonings, but I knew dill would be a safe bet.

Pickled Beets and Shredded Carrots

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 2-4
Date made: 4/20/2011

2 c beets*
1 c carrots, shredded*
1/3 c white wine vinegar
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c beet juice (see below)

Scrub beets and leave on tails and 2-3 in of tops.  Place beets in pot and add water half-way up to beets.  Boil until fork-tender, 20-30 minutes.
Drain and set aside beet juice.  Run cold water over hot beets while sliding off skins with hands, and dice into small pieces.
Combine remaining ingredients except for the carrots into pot.  Add beets and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes and allow the sugar to dissolve.
Add carrots and allow to cool.  Keep refrigerated.

Pickled Radishes

Adapted from Hollygrove Market and Farm, serves 4
Date made: 4/20/2011

1/4 c white wine vinegar

1/4 c water

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tsp salt 

1 bunch radishes, quartered*

Bring all ingredients except radishes to a boil.  Pour over radishes.  Allow to sit till room temperature.

Refrigerate for up to a week.

Pretty simple!  I forgot the bay leaf in HMF recipe, but it still turned out okay.  Reminded me of the ban chan served in Korean cuisine.