Green Beans are Back!

Welcome back plump, bright, snappy green beans of summer!  This weekend I made a "welcome back" green bean salad with the best beans I could get my hands on, so easy!...served it with spicy pan-seared chops, polenta and a sassy mango salsa...yummy!

Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives
gently borrowed from fine Cooking, Issue no.117

3/4 lb. fresh green beans trimmed
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs shallots, minced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives halved
1/2 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the green beans until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, drain and cool under cold running water.
In a large bowl, combine drained beans with cherry tomatoes
Dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar and the shallots together. Stir in Kalamata olives, fresh thyme and add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette, adjust the seasoning and serve.

The mango salsa may have been the real star of this show! Here's the recipe:

Mango-Tango Salsa

1 ripe mango peeled, pitted and cut into small dice
1 plum or 4 cherry tomatoes cut into small dice
2 scallions, use white and light green part, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Squeeze of 1 lime
Tabasco sauce to taste ~ I use about three gentle shakes
Kosher salt to taste (but add at least a pinch!)
Gently mix together is a small bowl
Drizzle with 1 Tbs. canola oil before serving

This was so delicious with the chipotle spice-rubbed pork chops, but it would be great as a straight-up salsa with chips (but double the recipe!). Enjoy!!