Beans: Wash a pound or more of green beans, remove ends and strings. Leave beans whole and drop into a large pot of boiling water. Cook 5 - 10 minutes. Don�t overcook. Beans should be done but still crunchy. Remove pot from heat. Drain and cover the beans with cold water to stop the cooking.

Sauce: Most vinaigrettes have too much vinegar. The standard mix is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Start with 10 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. If it needs more sourness, you can up the vinegar content.

Mix olive oil (I use regular olive oil since I find extra virgin too heavy in taste), red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, a couple of garlic cloves (pressed or chopped really fine), two pinches of Italian seasonings (or herbes d�Provence, or oregano) in a pint jar (pickle or mayonnaise) and shake well to blend.

Presentation: Pour the sauce over the green beans, coating them well. Arrange the beans on a platter, garnish with parsley and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Variations: The vinaigrette can also be used on boiled fresh or frozen asparagus. Balsamic vinegar may be used instead of red wine vinegar, but since balsamic is milder in taste, more will be required. For a different twist, add a teaspoonful or two of Dijon mustard (this will require more shaking to blend) or half a can (7 oz) of chopped tomatoes (this requires a larger jar!)