eclaire (what’s in a) name?

i’m feeling rather wordless. for those of you who know me in person (or even just know me through reading this blog), i bet you’re wondering how it’s possible that i am without words – i am normally quite verbose and tend to have a plethora of things to say on all subjects.

but there’s a lot of work looming ahead of me over the next 17 days, and i’m working on mustering all my strength to get ready for this big project of moving us across a few states, and then beginning grad school!

just because i’m out of words and energy at the moment doesn’t mean that i don’t have a great recipe to share with you, though. it uses delicious veggies that are in season right now – green beans, tomatoes, and shallots. and it’s delish. and i’m now officially out of words. i’ll be back next week with a brighter, happier post for y’all, i promise!

one year ago: white gazpacho
two years ago: lemon tart

green bean salad

yields approx 6 servings
borrowed from smitten kitchen

• 1 lb green beans
• 1 lb tomatoes (regular or cherry both work well)
• 1 large shallot
• 2T red wine vinegar
• 1/3c olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
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1. boil water in a large pan
2. chop off both ends of the green beans, and slice them in half if they’re long (you want bite sized pieces)
3. put the green beans into the boiling water for about four minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process
4. put the green beans into a large bowl
5. chop the tomatoes into bite sized pieces and place into the bowl with the green beans
6. meanwhile, peel and mince the shallot
7. whisk the shallot, vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a bowl
8. pour the mixture over the green beans and tomatoes and serve immediately! (the green beans will discolor with the acid from the vinegar, so if you’re serving later, wait to dress the salad until right before you serve the dish)