As local market stands continue to expand their offerings, I’m particularly glad to see the mounds of green beans that are in season now.

This is one of my favourite vegetables to serve, either warm or cold, in a seasonal salad.

This week, I’ve prepared a recipe that features the green beans in a cold salad, along with some sweet red pepper, onion and toasted nuts. This combination gets tossed with a simple mustard-maple vinaigrette. You can even add a sprinkling of goat cheese on top just before serving.

It’s a great side dish for just about anything you might cook on the grill.

Blanching the green beans and plunging in an ice bath preserves their vibrant green colour and crisp texture. I like to cook extra, so I have them to toss in a weeknight stir fry or yet another substantial sal

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