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Cucumber, String Bean, and Olive Salad

To pit the olives, place them on a cutting board, and press firmly with your thumb. The olives will split, and the pits can be easily removed.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

Coarse salt
1/2 pound string beans
2 cucumbers (1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 pound oil-cured black olives, pitted, torn in half
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water; add the string beans, and cook until bright green and just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, and transfer to the ice-water bath until cool. Drain, and cut in half lengthwise.

    Step 2

    Peel the cucumbers, and split them lengthwise. Remove the seeds using a melon baller or a spoon. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices on the diagonal. Combine with string beans, olives, and parsley leaves in a medium serving bowl.

    Step 3

    Whisk together the mustard, red-wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly. Toss with the salad just before serving.

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Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.
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