PESTO GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

Adapted from THE FOSTER'S MARKET COOKBOOK. The original pesto recipe with this called for way too much garlic for my taste. This is a nice recipe for a summer potluck, and we made it for our latest “Family Cooking Academy” this past weekend. It was hot so we grilled the tomatoes instead of roasting them which worked quite well. I had it leftover for lunch twice – once I cooked some corkscrew pasta and just stirred it in, the next day I added some feta cheese to that and ate it cold. Yummy! Kids like this generally, except Audrey, of course.

2 cups plus cherry tomatoes, preferably a mix of colors
1/4 cup olive oil
1 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds green beans, stem ends removed (skinny ones work best)
1 cup PESTO
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts or pecans, toasted, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and garlic in a baking dish. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes start to release their juices and begin to shrivel. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the beans, and cook them 1 to 2 minutes or until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender. Drain the beans immediately and immerse them in a large bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove the beans from the water and set aside to drain thoroughly. If you’re in a hurry, dry them with a dishtowel.

Toss the beans with the pesto, Parmesan, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place the beans on a platter or individual serving plates, top with tomatoes, garnish with toasted nuts and Parmesan if desired, and serve.