Little Cheese Fiend

My son loves food, we all know that. But there are a few specific things he does become fiendish for, and one at the top of the list is cheese. It's not his fault. He comes by it naturally. Both of his parents are also cheese lovers, and so are both of his grandpas. We are a cheese loving family.

My son will eat cheese as a snack. One of his favorite lunch staples is a cheese sandwich...bread and American cheese, that's it. Until the age of 6 his favorite pizza, and the only one he would eat, was plain cheese. From cheddar, the sharper the better, to Colby, to Swiss, he loves every kind, any way he can get it. We even have a picture when he was about 2 at Thanksgiving sneaking food from the table. What was it? Not pie. Not candy. Cheese!!

His most recent cheese addiction is actually feta. Now he thinks it's goat cheese, but for those of us who eat feta on a regular basis, we know most of the time it's made with a mix of both sheep's and goat's milk. (But that's okay, we will let him think it's goat. It makes him feel like a real foodie.) And for those of you who have never had it, feta is a brined cheese with a salty and tangy flavor. Most of the time it's in crumbled form and a staple in Greece.  In fact, it was on a Greek salad that Alex first fell in love with his new favorite cheese.

So when I had some fresh green beans in the fridge (Yay for produce sales!!) and knew I wanted to make a salad instead of just boiling them, I was so excited when I came upon this. It had some of his favorite things! Beans, tomatoes, and plenty of feta!

If your side dish rotation has gotten a little tiresome, or maybe you have plenty of green beans coming from your garden, this salad is a fantastic, unique side dish for any meal. Full of color and flavor, it's so pretty for summer too.

My little cheese fiend isn't going to give up his addiction any time soon. That's okay though. It could be much worse! I will take him sneaking cheese over candy any day of the week!

Balsamic Green Bean Salad From Taste of Home
2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
4 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. olive oil
3 TBS lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground mustard

In a medium pan over high heat, place green beans covered with water. Bring to a boil. Cook 8-10 minutes until crisp tender. Drain and place in ice water to stop cooking. Pat dry. Place in large bowl. Add onions. In a small bowl whisk together oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. Mix well. Pour over green bean mixture. Chill for at least 1 hour. Stir. Add tomatoes and cheese just before serving.

Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box July 30, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook Aug. 2, 2013

Green Beans at Very Good Recipes
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