Garlic Dill Green Beans with Dijon Vinaigrette

Pulling a big bulb of garlic out of the ground is right up there on my list of life's most satisfying moments.

We're a little on the late side harvesting ours so a few cloves were busting out of their protective shells, but overall it was a very successful harvest. And this garlic is a little special too because my boyfriend and I planted it together shortly after we met for the first time, last fall. So it's romantic garlic, ooh lala! We planted 2 varieties: Georgian Crystal and German White. My friend Sara who was visiting (good timing Sara!) gave us a hand with it all and took this photo of us beaming with pride after a long day in the sun.

Personally, I can barely function in a kitchen without garlic and I refuse to buy the stuff that's been shipped all the way from China, so I was pretty stoked when I saw our small mountain of garlic heads. I have a feeling it will easily last us all year, until our next harvest. 

Aside from the garlic, pretty much all of our meals are coming from straight out of the garden these days which is such a joy. 

Since the green beans are in full swing, I was planning to make canned dilly beans with them but my dill seed heads aren't quite ready yet, so I sautéed these ones in some of that freshly harvested garlic with butter and some late-planted radishes, garnished with fresh dill. Nothing too ground-breaking here, but I thought I'd share this simple taste of summer with you. Everything that went in that pan is from our garden (except the olive oil and butter).

Garlic Dill Beans with a Dijon Vinaigrette

Around 1/2 pound green beans
6 cloves of garlic (or 1 big head)
1 shallot (or onion)
1 small bunch of radishes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Dijon Vinaigrette
1 tbsp whole grain dijon
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Snap the ends off the beans and cut in half or thirds, depending on how long your beans are. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the beans for 3 minutes or until deep green but still crunchy. Drain and set aside. In a pan, sautée the shallots in the olive oil until golden. Add the sliced radishes, garlic, beans, and butter. Salt and pepper generously. Sautée until the beans reach the desired texture. Test them as you cook! I like mine well-done but with a light crunch left in them. Remove from heat, toss with dill and vinaigrette. (Or serve vinaigrette separately). Serve hot or cold.