Haricots Verts Cucumber Salad

Haricots Verts are just smaller, thinner and perhaps crispier green beans.  If you can't find them, then fresh American green beans will work just fine.  This is a light, crispy salad that I modified from the cooks.com website and actually made this specifically to go with my Pan Fried Shrimp and Parmesan Shiitake Grits recipe.  Click here to go to it.

Ingredients
1/2 lb (about two good handfuls) Haricot Vert, washed and cut into uniform length
1 large cucumber, peeled
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp chopped roasted or fresh red bell pepper
1 small picante red pepper, either pickled, or blanched, cored and seeded, finely minced
2 tsp dried dill weed
3 tsp salt, plus salt & pepper to taste

The Recipe:
Bring a skillet with 1-2 inches of water to a boil, add the salt and throw in the green beans.  Cook for two minutes, then drain into a colander and immediately get cold water onto the beans to stop them from cooking further.  Allow to cool.

Cut the cucumber lengthwise into halves, and using a melon-baller, core out the center seeds, then cut the cucumber into slices about 1/4 inch thick.  The slices are now in the shape of little crescents.

Combine the cucumber, green beans and green onion with the chopped red bell pepper and picante pepper in a salad bowl and put in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to thoroughly chill everything. In the mean time, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, dill weed, salt and pepper to taste, and also allow this to chill for a half-hour.

Combine the vegetables with the dressing at the last minute, toss well and serve immediately.