photo by James Baigrie
This summer salad is great for buffets, picnics, potlucks, and tailgates. It’s easy, too: if you don’t have time to make your own pesto, use a good-quality, store-bought fresh pesto from the deli case.
Serves 6 to 8
2 plum tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 cup yellow pear tomatoes, cut in half, or cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
½ cup red cherry tomatoes, cut in half
¼ cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds green beans, stem ends removed
1 cup Foster’s Pesto
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
One 2-ounce jar (¼ cup) pine nuts, toasted, to garnish, optional
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish, optional
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the plum tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes with the olive oil and garlic in a baking dish. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes start to release their juices and begin to shrivel. Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the beans, and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender.
4. Drain the beans immediately and immerse them in a large bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. (Note: This helps the beans retain their color and keep their crisp texture.) Remove the beans from the water and set aside to drain thoroughly.
5. Toss the beans with the pesto, Parmesan, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place the beans on a platter or individual serving plates, top with tomatoes, garnish with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan if desired, and served immediately.
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