Zesty Green Beans with Chives

Reprinted with permission from BRING IT! © 2018 by Ali Rosen, Running Press

Feeding friends and neighbors shouldn’t feel intimidating. Complicated is not always the better choice if you want to impress. The only real goal is to make something delicious. That’s the key with this side dish. It’s so simple it may seem like you’re hardly even cooking, but the zing you get from the zest and chives makes it feel special.

1. Zest both lemons, making sure to avoid the white pith. Set the zest aside and juice 1 of the lemons. You should have approximately ¼ cup of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of zest, but it can be a little more or less. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and create an ice water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water. Cook the green beans in the boiling water until they are just cooked but still crisp, approximately 4 minutes. Quickly drain them and submerge them in the ice bath (or run under cold tap water) until they have completely cooled. Drain to remove any liquid and add the chives, olive oil, garlic cloves, almonds, red pepper flakes, and salt and toss together. Add the lemon zest and juice just before serving. HOW TO BRING IT This is another one of those easy-to-prepare gold mines that does well either warm or at room tempera­ture. The key to this dish is the crispiness of the green beans. If you prefer to reheat, cook the green beans a minute or so less when you blanch them. Store the lemon juice and zest separately from the beans, and toss together just before serving.