For years we’ve been told to “eat a rainbow” of brightly-colored fruits and vegetables. Turns out, the compounds that give them their color — lycopene, beta carotene, etc. — are also good for us. This is great news for blueberries and spinach. Potatoes? Not so much.
Whether it’s because I’ve internalized the “rainbow” message or simply because I don’t like potatoes as much as green veggies, I find it a chore to use them up. Yes, I make mashed potatoes because the kids love them, and yes, I roast them with rosemary as an easy side for company. But I don’t exactly clap my hands when I discover them at the bottom of my farm-share bag every week.
So this weekend I went on the offensive. I thought of flavors I really like — mustard, parsley, vinegar — and put them with the spuds that I don’t really like. I also added a bed of green beans, partly because I have three pounds of beans sitting in my fridge and partly because of that green thing I mentioned a moment ago. Though I served it warm, the salad was just as good cold, so feel free to make it ahead.
Warm Potato and Green Bean Salad
1 1/4 pounds new potatoes, diced
2 big handfuls of green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup cider or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon, preferably whole grain
1/2 green pepper, small diced
3 tablespoons parsley
Salt and pepper
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the potatoes until just done. While the potatoes are cooking, add green beans to a second pot of boiling, salted water and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
Make the vinaigrette by whisking the vinegar, olive oil and mustard and set aside. When the beans are done, drain them and spread them in the bottom of a glass serving bowl. When the potatoes are done, drain them and toss them immediately with the vinaigrette, then add the green pepper and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste, then spoon over the green beans.
I’m on the road now, visiting my family in rural Virginia. Just how rural this is is up for debate. Yes, my parents’ small town is still small (thankfully), but the sprawl of D.C. has littered the roads from here to the beltway with more grocery stores than I can count, not to mention McDonald’s and Borders and Target. Fact is, the land is pretty out here and folks don’t mind spending hours in the car so they can live here but work there. 
