Baby Potato-Green Bean Salad with Bacon and Feta

If you have time for one more potato salad this summer, please make it this one!  This is one of the best potato salad recipe I've ever had.  Last picnic, Labor Day cookout or family-and-friends gathering coming up? Bring this!   

Rather than a warm starch side dish for our gourmet group dinner recently, I decided to go with something cool, as our weather has been very warm and humid this summer.  It was a perfect accompaniment for the grilled meat, which is the last recipe from our dinner that I'll be sharing from our dinner, next time.

The dressing is a delightful vinaigrette made with Dijon mustard, fresh thyme leaves (hello, garden), and honey.  When all the wonderful ingredients are tossed together with the vinaigrette you will have one of the freshest, best tasting potato salads you can imagine.  Better yet, it can be made either a day ahead or in the morning.  I like to take it out of the refrigerator and allow it to get to room temperature before serving.  But be careful, you'll be tempted to sneak a bite every time you walk past it :)

If you don't care for bacon or feta cheese, leave them out.  But, if you do, they just make every mouthful a delightful combination of flavors!

I used a combination of baby Yukon gold and baby red potatoes.  I would suggest using either one of those over russets as they hold their shape better after boiling.  The green beans are cooked until just tender and then blanched in a bowl of ice water to keep them from getting mushy and to keep their bright green color.  I used haricot vert (thin, French green beans) that I found at Costco but any fresh green beans will work.  Even better if you can get them freshly picked at a Farmers' Market.



You may have heard or read about all the rain we've been getting in Wisconsin recently.  9-11 inches of rain fell in portions of Wisconsin yesterday that caused mudslides (unusual here), water rescues and evacuations ongoing.  Areas hardest hit are north of Milwaukee, Madison and areas near LaCrosse.  Here in Southeastern Wisconsin we have Flash Flood warnings today for nearby rivers and creeks.

Luckily, our home is built on high ground so we are fortunate.  My poor Limelight hydrangea is so heavy from all the rain that the blooms have fallen over but, compared to what other's are going through, a minor disaster indeed. Isn't it hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of August?

Baby Potato-Green Bean Salad with Bacon and Feta

Printable Recipe

Serves 8

For the Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon honey
1 heaping tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 heaping tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 cup vegetable oil

For the Salad:

3 pounds baby gold or baby red potatoes, or a mixture of both, washed
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 (generous) pound fresh green beans
5 green onions, white and light green part, thinly sliced
1/2 pound bacon, cooked crispy, crumbled
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 ounces)

To make the vinaigrette:  In a blender, combine the vinegar, honey, minced shallot, thyme leaves, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until combined. With the blending running and pour cap open, slowly add in the oil until the vinaigrette is thickened. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large saucepan of boiling water, add the salt and cook the potatoes, covered, for 8-10 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them. Spread in a single layer on a tea towel to cool completely.  When cool, either halve or quarter the potatoes and place in a large bowl.

Wash and trim the green beans and cut in half crosswise. Fill a large bowl with ice water and have ready by the stove. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the beans and return to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until just crisp-tender. Immediately remove from boiling water with a slotted spoon and put them into the ice water. After a couple of minutes drain the beans, pat dry and and to bowl with potatoes.

Add sliced green onions to the bowl and drizzle with some of the vinaigrette and gently toss.  Add more vinaigrette, if needed, to thoroughly coat the salad. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. Chill remaining dressing to serve alongside the potato salad. You may remove the salad from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, if desired.

Just before serving, toss salad with the bacon and feta cheese and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Serve with remaining dressing at table.

"Ancient" Chinese Chicken with Green Beans and Caramelized Shallots

I use the term 'Ancient' loosely here.  It's not an authentic ancient Chinese recipe but the name given the recipe in an old cookbook of mine from 1986 called "Noteworthy - A Collection of Recipes from the Ravinia Festival"  It's still one of my all-time favorite cookbooks and I love pulling it off the bookshelf every now and then to see if there's anything I may have missed. My original copy was so worn that the pages were falling out but I was lucky enough to find an almost new copy at the local used book store. 

FYI, the Ravinia Festival in northern Illinois is the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States, with a series of outdoor concerts and performances held every summer from June to September. It has been the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936 and the cookbook was the project of the Women's Board of the Ravinia Festival Organization. 

I was in the mood for some Asian BBQ chicken, and found this recipe in my cookbook.  I thought I might have a hard time finding the currant jelly and plum jam but luckily, no problem thanks to the popular store brand. The original recipe calls for chicken legs and breasts but I substituted bone-in chicken thighs because they stay so tender and juicy, even after a long cooking time.

Since my husband and I are trying to watch our carb intake during the week, I served the chicken with some sauteed mushrooms (to which I added a little of the chicken spice mixture) and my favorite recipe for green beans with caramelized shallots which I'll also share.  It's a fool proof method for getting tender but not over-cooked green beans, just like you'd get in a restaurant.

Did you know that Chinese New Year is starting on February 19!  It will be the Year of the Goat!  Some interesting facts on the Chinese Zodiac. 

I also want to thank my friend, Maris, at In Good Taste Magazine and Wüsthof for the opportunity to win two beautiful Wüsthof knives in December.  Thank you, both very much!  I am thrilled with them and the boning knife is perfect for cutting up chicken parts.

"Ancient" Chinese Chicken with Green Beans and Caramelized Shallots

Adapted from "Noteworthy - A Collection of Recipes from the Ravinia Festival"

Printable Recipe

Serves 6

12 bone-in chicken thighs trimmed of excess skin (you may use other chicken parts if you prefer)
1/2 cup Canola oil
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
2 teaspoons coarse salt (I like to use coarse sea salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Note: I ground the dry seasonings together in my spice grinder (which is a coffee grinder I use just for spices).  Save any leftover spice mixture to use on sauteed mushrooms or green beans.

For the Sauce:

1-1/3 cups ketchup
2/3 cup red currant jelly
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco (or Sriracha)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (or 1/2 teaspoon dry ginger)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup plum jam (strained if it has large bits of plum)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Arrange the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub the chicken pieces with oil and then sprinkle the lemon juice, Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper over chicken and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.

While the chicken is baking, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a heavy saucepan and whisk together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

When the chicken is done, remove from oven, uncover, and drain the juices.

Increase the oven temperature to 400. Baste the chicken generously with the sauce and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes, or until browned. Serve with remaining sauce.

You may also grill the chicken on a medium heat grill, basting frequently with the sauce until browned for about 10 minutes, turning frequently.

Serve with sauteed mushrooms, and,

Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots
Adapted from Epicurious

Serves 4

1 pounds slender green beans, stem ends trimmed
3-4 shallots
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves are even better)

Have a large bowl of ice water ready.

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil.  Add the green beans and return to a boil.  Cook until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer immediately to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in several layers of paper towels. Seal in plastic bag and chill.)

Trim ends and peel shallots. Cut lengthwise in half, then slice thickly. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until shallots are browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Shallots can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature).

Add pre-cooked and drained green beans to the shallots in skillet and stir over medium-high heat until heated through, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.