two bean salad

It may not be officially summer yet but it feels like the heat of summer came early this year and is here to stay :-) We're looking forward to the next big holiday, 4th of July. It's the season for cook outs and backyard barbecue picnics again. With that in mind, I have to say this salad has potential to be the star at any barbecue party.

This is one of the best combination of sweet, sour and salty flavors I've tried in a dressing. This is a much improved recipe idea for this summer salad. I used only two kinds of beans, yellow wax beans and canned red kidney beans. The sliced carrots provided the attractive color contrast. I found this must-try recipe at Jane Spice foodblog.

still enjoying our organic vegetable and fruit supply

Last week, our organic produce box included some pretty yellow wax beans which were just perfect for this salad.

carrots and yellow wax beans shown getting an ice bath after blanching

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small saucepan then simmer until the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture cool down before pouring over the vegetables. Best made a day ahead and chilled in the refrigerator so the flavors will have time to blend well. I just followed the recipe and procedure but omitted the oranges and replaced the green beans with sliced carrots.