Green Bean, Hazelnut and Goat Cheese Salad

[myfanwy-65.livejournal.com]

2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
Two thirds cup chopped hazelnuts
One quarter cup red onion, sliced
Two thirds cup olive oil
One half cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Steam green beans until crisp-tender. Remove from heat
and allow to cool. Combine beans, cheese, hazelnuts,
and onion together in a large bowl. In a cruet,
combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper
and shake well. Pour over green bean mixture and toss.
Chill until ready to serve. This salad presents very
well and is also very tasty. With the onions, slice
them very thin and then soak them in cold water for
about 25 minutes before adding them to the salad. This
will help tone down the strong onion flavor.