A TOUR OF MY GARDEN AND A RECIPE

My kitchen is too warm and I've been gone too much this summer to participate in the July Daring Bakers Challenge, so I thought I'd take you for a tour of my garden. 

I have one lone eggplant after the resident bunny mowed down the other, but the remaining plant should provide enough for my summer ratatouille and eggplant parmesan.  The basil is still awaiting the ripening of my twenty heirloom tomato plants. 

I have two urns filled with rosemary and thyme.  They'll be transplanted into smaller containers in the fall and moved indoors for the winter months.

                       DILLED POTATO-GREEN BEAN SALAD
               (Recipes From an Ecological Kitchen by Lorna Sass)

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 pound just-cooked small new potatoes with skins on
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup tightly packed minced fresh dill
1 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Steam green beans for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender-crisp.  Run under cold water.  Drain thoroughly.  Cut into thirds lengthwise.  Place in serving bowl.  Cut cooked new potatoes into quarters.  Add potatoes and walnuts to beans.  In a food processor or blender, combine oil, 3/4 cup dill, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper.  Blend to a thick, creamy dressing.  Taste and add more mustard or vinegar, if desired.  Toss dill-mustard vinaigrette into potato-bean mixture.  Let mixture marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.  Adjust seasonings before serving, adding more dill, if desired.