After three

Good morning. We've got pot roast in the oven, the sun's out, and pretty soon we're going to take Fisher for his walk. The house is cool, the dahlias are in full bloom, the lawn is mowed, and on Saturday, we picked 4 pounds of green and purple beans from the garden. Things are good around here.

We've been on a bean kick. Beans, tomatoes, and arugula are pretty much all the garden's turning out right now, so all three have become a staple at meal times. It can be hard to get creative with green beans, mainly because with a little butter and salt it's hard to go wrong. But the other day I came across this recipe, and I think after three lunches straight I can officially declare myself an addict. Sally too. 

We hope you'll join us soon.

GREEN BEANS WITH LEEKS & DILL

Heidi never fails me. This combo sounded unlikely, but the second I smelled the dill I knew she was spot on. I've used haricot vert and those purple beans up there, and I think pretty much any time of summer bean would be good. Just adjust the cooking time depending on how big they are, as they'll need more or less time to cook through. 

olive oil

4 leeks, washed, trimmed, and sliced into 1/4-inch rings

1/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

3/4 pound green (or purple or yellow) beans, tops and tails trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

sea salt to taste

Warm up a big splash of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and a bit of salt and sauté, stirring often, until the leeks are browned and tender. (This should take about 7-10 minutes.) Add the dill and the green beans and cook another few minutes, until the beans are just tender. Serve hot.

Note: One day I tossed the hot beans in a bowl with a handful of arugula, a bit of chevre, and a little glug of sesame oil, and it made a delicious lunch! Worth a try if you want to stretch this into a meal.