Fresh Green Bean Salad With Basil And Tomatoes

Leave pointed tips on green beans but snap off stem tips.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Drop in green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about six to seven minutes. Drain beans and plunge them into ice water to stop cooking. Drain well and refrigerate.

Prepare dressing.

When ready to serve, toss green beans with 1/3 cup dressing in large mixing bowl. Taste and add more dressing or salt as needed.

Pile beans high in center of large white platter. Arrange tomato slices overlapping around the edge. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and drizzle 3-tablespoons of dressing on top of them. Garnish with basil sprigs.

For Garlic-Basil Dressing: Turn on processor with steel knife and drop garlic and shallot down feed tube onto spinning blade to mince. Add vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and sugar.

With processor running, slowly drizzle in oil. Add basil leaves and coarsely chop with several on/off pulses.

NOTE: If you want the salad to remain bright green, eliminate vinegar altogether and substitute water.