But first…

Wouldn’t you just love to reach through the screen and grab one of these luscious chocolate-covered strawberries?

My sister-in-law Anisa hosted an amazingly delicious and well-organized Seder the other night for the first evening of Passover. We’re kind of at that age where the parents are passing the hosting responsibilities down to the next generation (US!) and Anisa’s definitely got the hang of it already. It’s just one of those life transitions… learning what it takes to host 30+ people for dinner at your house, having enough silverware and serving platters, figuring out how much food you really need, managing the stress of it all.

I contributed a side dish to the festivities, a green bean salad with a tangy creamy dressing and crunchy toasted pine nuts. The lemon and honey mixed with the creme fraiche make a sweet and intricately flavored dressing for the crunchy haricots verts. And the loads of basil added a fresh, spring-y note to the dish. I would definitely make this recipe again.

Haricots Verts and Grape Tomato Salad with Crème Fraîche Dressing
From Cooking Light Magazine (June 2005)
Makes 6 servings

I didn’t have any shallots, so I used chopped green onions instead. If you don’t have creme fraiche, you can substitute whole sour cream. I like to use Trader Joe’s frozen green beans. I quickly boil them and then shock them in ice water so that they maintain their bright color and crispy texture.

1 pound haricots verts, trimmed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Cook haricots verts in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine basil and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add haricots verts and tomatoes; toss gently to coat. Divide mixture evenly among 6 plates; sprinkle with nuts.