Side Dish Perk-Up: Green Beans with Lemon & Thyme

To tell you the truth, I have been in a weekday food rut. I blame this on the manic weather we have been having this May in the Northwest . Just when I get into my spring/early summer cooking groove a cold winds strikes up, the sky gets dark, and the rain starts pouring down, washing away my visions of dinner alfresco. The weekends have made it easier to be inspired, I have more time for one, and there always seems to be something going on or guests to cook for. Plus the local Farmers Markets to feed both literally and figuratively, my culinary soul. However it is mid-week and I have been struggling.....

Whenever I am experiencing a cooking block, I like to leaf through old food magazines or cookbooks hoping to get inspired. 99.9 % of the time it works. I found this recipe in a Bon Appetit from June 2007. This rendition of green beans helped make a boring meal of roasted chicken and red potatoes a little more jazzed up for Thursday night dinner. Sometimes it just takes a little twist on something to get you right back on track. For me that means thinking about what I am going to be making for dinner this weekend. I haven‘t quite decided yet, but the forecast says warm and sunny; so this much I know : dinner outside!

Green Beans with Lemon & Thyme
Serves 4

1 pound green beans (fresh & tender, skinny ones, Blue Lake if possible (Trader Joe‘s)
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme/lemon thyme
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Salt & pepper

Cook green beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add thyme, lemon peel, and green beans. Season with salt and pepper. Toss until heated through, about 5 minutes.