Get it While They’re Fresh

My dear wife rounded up these astonishingly fresh veggies at out local farmers market and put together this stunning appetizer tray. The taste was pure summer goodness.

Blanched Beans and Baby Carrots

2 pounds baby carrots (The real thing, right from the ground. Get the colorful heirloom varieties if you can find them.)
2 pounds fresh green beans

Fit a pasta strainer into a large  (8-12 quart)  pot. Fill with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place 6 cups of ice in a large bowl and fill with just enough water to float the ice.

Wash the carrots and trim the ends. DO NOT PEEL. Wash and trim the beans.

Blanch the carrots in the boiling water for about 2-3 minutes, depending on size of carrots and how crunchy you like them. Remove the carrots from the heat (This is where the strainer comes in handy. If you don’t have one use a big slotted spoon to remove the carrots). Drain and put the carrots into the ice water.

Return the strainer to the pot and add the grean beans. Blanch for about 2 minutes. Remove the beans from the heat, drain, and add the beans to the ice water.

The cold water stops the cooking and keeps the veggies tender-crisp. Pour the beans and carrots into a colander. Drain well, then stash in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Then just toss them on a simple platter and let the beautiful colors shout “SUMMER!!!”

We served these with store-bought hummus and homemade green goddess dressing on the side.

2 thoughts on “Get it While They’re Fresh”

  1. Nice! This week’s Farmer’s Market will finally yield Colorado fresh veggies. Our growing season starts so much later. It’s been torturous seeing all the fresh food on all the blogs I read.

    1. Thanks! We really lucked out this year – best spring in a decade. We’re even starting to see local tomatoes in the market and that shouldn’t be happening for almost another month.

      Enjoy your market this weekend.

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