This is a favourite fall salad that uses the last of the season’s green beans or wax beans. It is a salade composée or layered salad with a simple vinaigrette. So it can be dairy free for those who need to skip the cheese.

My beans, sunflower seeds, and fingerlings come from Vermont farmers via Farmers To You as does the cider vinegar. My garlic is from our CSA in Lincoln, Lindentree CSA and the cheddar is Cabot Seriously Aged cheddar.

Serves 2 for lunch or 4 as a side with dinner.
Ingredients

• Two large handfuls of green beans
• 4-6 fingerling potatoes
• 2-4 TBSP of roasted, salted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

Vinaigrette Ingredients

• a clove of garlic
• a spoonful of Dijon mustard
• 2 TBSP of Olive oil
• 1 TBSP of cider vinegar
• a pinch if fresh thyme leaves if you have it
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Top and tail or just take off the stem end off of the green beans and toss in a colander to rinse them.
Add to a pot with an two inches of water and cover. Steam until tender. Add hot beans back into the strainer and run them under cold water to stop cooking. Shake dry.

Wash the potatoes and slice them into 1 inch chunks. Add the potatoes to salted water. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until tender about 15-20 mins. You can use a knife to pierce the potato slices to check for doneness. When done there will be no resistance.

Grate cheese. Line up each ingredient on a platter or plate. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

Make vinaigrette.