Bake and Shake: "I found all of these things in my pants": Beans with Tomato, Lemon-Dill vinaigrette and Grana Padano

"I was thinking about how your dad's beard probably smells like Santa, or a Landfill."

"Depending on his mood."

This is my favorite salad of all time.

If you're thinking ahead, you could serve this with seared, sliced tuna. Or you could eat it plain. Or with leg of Toddler.

I'm thinking about a lot of things, and thinking about doing a few more. But I couldn't leave this salad unshared, because it is really delicious and takes care of a few late summer gifts in one swoop. Peppery, pungent, cut with a verdant crunch and pulpy sweetness. Really great.

I'll be back tomorrow, with tales and failures.

Beans with Tomato, Lemon-Dill vinaigrette and Grana Padano
Serves two

Two large handfuls fresh green/string beans, stems snapped
1 heaping cup mixed-color cherry tomatoes
Grana Padano (or Parmesan)

Zest and juice from half a ripe lemon
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh dill weed

Combine the lemon juice, zest, salt, garlic, dill weed and pepper in a bowl or pitcher. Whisk with a fork to combine, and then slowly stream in the olive oil, still whisking (I continued to use a fork, but you could switch to a whisk) until the liquids have bound together, forming a thickened, sunny dressing. Set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and salt generously. Add the snapped beans, and blanch until bright green and tender, yet toothsome (Test one. Don't make me be your Grandma. Just do it, with your teeth, the way Grandpa caught that snake under the porch). My mind is telling me, in a shifty way, that this might take anywhere between 1 to 1 and a half minutes. Test as soon as they turn bright green, and the second you feel like you could eat the whole bean, they're done.

Remove from the water immediately, and transfer to a bowl. Pour the dressing over the hot beans and toss well to combine. Arrange on a platter or plate of your choosing, and scatter the halved tomatoes on top, pouring any vinaigrette remaining in the bowl over the beans and tomatoes. Shave or grate Grana Padano over the salad, and serve at room temperature. While the taste improves, the color of the beans fade to a muckier green -- you could avoid this by shocking the hot beans in ice water, but I find that they don't absorb the flavor as well.

That's it. Stuff your faces.