Plum Green Bean Salad

Yesterday was a good news/bad news day.

The good news is that I got up early to work out. The bad news was that my elliptical trainer was sitting in an inch of water in the basement. 

Good news: We found and fixed the source (broken sprinkler pipe) and we're all dried out now. Bad news: It took the entire day to get to that point.

Good news: Nothing of value was ruined. Bad news: That means my husband's drum set lives on to drum another day.

Bad news: I dropped the lid to my pressure cooker and broke it. Good news: They sell replacement parts online. (Also good news for my husband because he got to eat In-N-Out for dinner.)

The real good news is that there were so many silver linings in our little flood and the rest of the events of yesterday that I am almost having trouble finding bad news examples to share. I love working with my husband, even when it means wading through muddy water or dealing with incredibly large bugs. You know you've married the right person when something like that almost seems fun because you're doing it together. 

It's a great combo that makes this green bean salad good news, too. You've probably noticed my now that I love using fruit in recipes where it wouldn't normally be expected. I love the touch of sweetness that it adds and I'm always surprised at how well most fruit can blend with savory flavors. In this salad it is plums (or peaches) that give the salad a unique flavor. The caramelized onions don't hurt, either, and neither does a touch of fresh rosemary. And green beans are just delicious too, aren't they? It is a salad that you can serve warm or cold, making it versatile as well as delicious. Not to mention pretty, too. And healthy.

Basically, good news all around.

Plum Green Bean Salad

1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 T olive oil
1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 tsp snipped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
2 peaches or nectarines or three plums
1 T lime juice
1/8 tsp salt plus more to taste

In a 12-inch skillet, cook onions in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or just until beginning to soften. Add green beans, rosemary, garlic and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes more or until beans are crisp-tender. Remove from heat and toss in peach slices and lime juice. Serve hot or cold. (If planning on serving cold, don't add fruit to salad until right before serving.)

Recipe Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Posted in: Side Dish