Szechuan Marinated Grilled Green Beans

 

With it being so warm lately, I've been doing everything I can to avoid using the stove and oven and producing more heat in the house.  So tonight we tried grilled green beans.  My other half kept raving over them, so I'll take that to mean they were a success.

Approx. 1 lb of green beans, rinsed and ends trim. 
Place in a large zip lock bag for easy marinating.
Add to the bag:
2 tbsp olive oil (I was out of sesame seed oil, but I think that would work great)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp Szechuan sauce, depending on how much heat you want (I used San-J brand which is pretty spicy)
1 clove of garlic, minced
Seal the bag and mix until beans are evenly coated.

Heat grill to a med-high heat.  We place the green beans in a grill basket so they didn't fall through the grate, but if you are careful, you may be able to place them directly on the grate.  They take about 10-12 minutes on the grill.

Green Bean and Fennel Salad

Another great salad that you can make with Ber-Gust Farms produce. The green beans can be blanched a day or two in advanced, but don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve the salad as the fennel will discolor.

Dressing:
 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
 2 tablespoon olive oil


Salad:
1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced
1 cups chopped fresh Italian parsley
Onion, thinly sliced
Bell pepper, cut into thing strips (I think the red, yellow, or orange add a nice touch of color)


Shave Parmesan and toasted walnuts  for topping.  When I toast the walnuts, I added just a touch of maple syrup to give some sweetness.

 Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend for the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook green beans in large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans. Pat dry.

Place beans in large bowl. Add fennel, onion, pepper, and parsley. Drizzle dressing over; toss. Top with cheese and walnuts.