hump day

One of my favorite things about Wednesday is the dining section in the New York Times. I love how the articles shed new light on many a staple and always seem to transport me out of my humble kitchen. Magically this happened a couple of weeks ago when Section D sported a spread on reimagining the picnic. I was eager to try my hand at the featured haricot vert, corn and carrot salad with mustard vinaigrette.

 Like many guilty pleasures my Wednesday fav needs a disclaimer- if followed to the letter NYT’s recipes rarely replicate in my kitchen. Often the ratios are way off. So while I love reading the articles and gleaning inspiration from the pages I’m always cautious when recreating one.

Thankfully I paused before incorporating the listed full cup of olive oil in the vinaigrette. What could have been cloying and heavy turned out be light, fresh and downright fabulous by slashing the recommended oil in half.

Here’s my rendition of haricot vert, corn and carrot salad. It’s fast becoming one of my summer favorites.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Trim a pound of thin French green beans, cut into bite sized pieces.

Drop the haricot vert into the boiling water and cook until just tender, about two to three minutes. Plunge into an ice bath. Drain well.

Husk four ears of corn. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the corn until just tender, about 2-3 minutes.

Plunge into an ice bath; drain well.

Bagged matchstick carrots are a real time saver.

The vegetables can all be prepared earlier in the day. Place in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate.

For the vinaigrette whisk together salt, vinegar, garlic and mustard.

Continually and slowly whisk in the olive oil until incorporated.

Whisk in chives and pepper.

The dressing can be hours in advance also. Cover and refrigerate separately.

An hour before serving toss the haricot vert, corn and carrots in a large bowl.

Toss in dressing and season with salt and pepper.

A perfect bite to get you through your mid-week hump.