OLD STANDARDS & NEW STANDARDS

On Facebook yesterday we had some discussions on canned green beans -- and the consensus pretty much was that the best use for canned green beans is in the old standard recipe for Three Bean (or 4 Bean if you like garbanzos) Salad that's been around for years.

My recipe from years ago is described thusly:   Open and drain 1 can each of green beans, yellow wax beans, red kidney beans and garbanzo beans. Toss in 1/2 cup each of minced onion and green bell pepper. Make dressing of 1/2 c each salad oil and cider vinegar, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 t salt and 1/ t pepper.  Mix well, and pour over beans.  Refrigerate, and serve chilled.  You can't do much better than that for a good salad on a hot day. (In this day and age we might do better to cut down a bit on the sugar, right?)

But I submit that just as tasty and almost as easy to prepare is Lebanese Potato Salad.  It hasn't been in my cookbook for as long as the bean salad, but it's been around the middle east for a whole lot longer.  

This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine of May, 1980.  That was before some of you were born, probably!  The original recipe didn't specify what kind of potatoes to use, but merely states "large" - which likely doesn't mean red potatoes but they work just as well.  So here's how to make this wonderful salad appear:

4 large potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut in bite-sized chunks and placed in bowl.

1/2 cup snipped parsley
3 green onions, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 t salt
dash garlic powder
dash pepper.

Mix together all ingredients and pour over potatoes.  Toss to coat.  Cover and chill several hours or overnight.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

So here you have it!  The old and the older - both standbys in my house.  And both are standards, as far as I am concerned.

Happy eating, friendds.