Still picking those last-of-the-season cherries? Think past dessert and try this vinaigrette instead. They add just the right amount of sweetness to the smokiness of the roasted green beans (which, by the way, are also great on the grill).
Roasted Green Bean and Arugula Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette:
2/3 cup pitted cherries
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Zest from 1 small orange
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Fine sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
For the green beans:
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Sprinkle fine sea or Himalayan salt
Sprinkle of fresh ground pepper
For the salad:
12 ounces baby arugula
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons hemp seeds
To prepare the vinaigrette, put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and whizz until smooth. Add additional agave nectar if you’d like it sweeter. Refrigerate until needed.
For the green beans, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the green beans on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway, until the green beans begin to brown and becoming tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Put the arugula and onion in a large serving bowl. Toss with the green beans. Add the vinaigrette — you may not use it all, just use how much you’d like. Taste for seasonings then sprinkle with hemp seeds. Serve at room temperature.
Laurie Sadowski 