Green (and Purple) Bean and Tomato Salad

Purple green beans? Where did they go? (My 5-year-old nephew was very confused, as he was the one who helped me make this dish.)

First, purple green beans are green beans in a violet-hued skin. Under their purple shell, they have a green flesh. Once cooked, the purple hue turns to green (similar to purple asparagus too.) Why does it happen? It has to do with the heat when cooking, allowing the green chlorophyll to show through more.

This bean can be treated the same way as any other bean, but ‘eating your colors’ always includes a variety of vitamins.

Ingredients:

1 pound purple or green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

(note: I was able to pick these that morning from http://www.chesapeakesbounty.com/)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (these orange ones came from my parents’ garden.)

1 tablespoons Dijon mustard, coarsely seeded

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red onion, minced

3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions:

Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes. (note: the purple ones take a minute or two longer.) Drain from the hot water, then toss into a bath of ice water. Drain again.