Recipe: Wing Bean Salad

WING BEAN SALAD

FOR THE SALAD:
1 pound green beans or wing beans, tipped, tailed and cut in half*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 fresh Italian plum tomatoes, such as Roma, cut lengthwise into eighths.
1/4 cup roughly chopped stuffed green olives
6 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced (1 Tablespoon)
2 green onions, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces (1/4 cup)
FOR THE GLAZE:
1/4 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon water

TO PREPARE THE SALAD:
Place the beans in a large vegetable steamer and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and allspice. Cover and steam for 5 minutes.

Combine the tomatoes, olives, basil, and onions in a large serving bowl and set aside.

TO PREPARE THE GLAZE:
Combine the arrowroot with the 1/2 teaspoon of water to make a slurry. Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and add the slurry. Stir over medium heat until clear, glossy, and slightly thickened.

TO SERVE:
Add the cooked beans to the salad bowl and toss with the warm vinegar glaze. Serve immediately.

*Wing beans, which take their name from wing-like flanges along their pods, are prolific in the humid equatorial zones. If you can find them fresh in your produce market, they are well worth trying. (Choose small pods for the best flavor). If wing beans are not available, fresh green beans will work beautifully in this wonderful salad-type vegetable dish.

Source: The Gathering Place Cookbook