Green Beans with Toasted Almonds, Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Kosher salt

1 pound green beans (preferably the thin ones called haricots vert), trimmed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

½ teaspoon sea salt

To a large saucepan three-quarters full of water, add a few pinches kosher salt. Bring water to a boil. In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath of cold water and ice cubes; set aside. Add beans to boiling water and cook until beans are tender enough to be speared with a fork but are still a bit crunchy, about 2 minutes. Drain beans and plunge them into the ice bath, swishing them around for 30 seconds. Drain and pat dry. You can do this part several hours ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate the beans, but bring to room temperature before serving.

To serve: Toss cooked beans, oil, almonds and sea salt and serve immediately.

“The Naptime Chef” by Kelsey Banfield (Running Press, 2012)