Read & Print Recipe from www.greatgrandmother.org

 

Mid-summer Italian Picnic Salad

 

This fabulous healthy picnic salad will travel well and serve many hungry people, delighting their palates with fresh summer flavors.

Start by preparing a half pound of white beans, either freshly boiled or rinsed well from a couple cans.

Gently mix in the following:

1. Half a red onion, chopped

2. Finely chopped 1/2 cup of Italian or broadleaf parsley

3. A generous hand full of sweet basil, chiffonade cut (you know, roll it like a cigar and then finely slice slivers of the leaves)

4. A half cup (or more!) of crumbled local goat cheese. If you prefer feta or blue, then have at it!

5. A hand full of fresh peas from the garden. Organic frozen ones work well off season.

6. Cut green beans. Decide on how much you like in your salad.

7. Then mix together with a 1/5th cup of extra virgin olive oil, some sea salt and ground pepper to taste, and a bit of red wine vinegar. (I do not like to tell folks how much of this stuff to add, as each person has his/her own taste)

** I like to occasionally add sliced Italian salume or mortadella, to give it a kick. Not too much, as it can overpower the dish.

**Be careful adding tomatoes, as they can often be so acidic that they fight with the creaminess of the beans.

Serve with a chilled crisp Sauvignon Blanc from California or New Zealand. Why not try a grassy, herbacious Blanc, with a hint of grapefruit.