This idea started with the Eater's Digest column - re: Julia Child's nicoise salad. I read through that and thought - why not turn it over a bit, make the green beans the star, add the other flavor elements as dressing and accents, and see what happens? Et Voila! A green bean dish is born!!

Serves Honestly? I ate the whole thing

• 2 cups green beans - tipped and tailed, and cut in 1.5 - 2" lengths
• 1 anchovy
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (about a half a lemon's worth)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cured black olives
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• pepper
• 1 hard cooked egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. To hard cook the egg (I do a bunch each time - we love them) put them in a pot of cold water, add a hefty pinch of salt, a little splash of white vinegar, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. Turn the heat off and allow them to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water and peel. Or save for later.
2. Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water at the ready. Dump the green beans in the boiling water and leave them for 2 minutes. Drain and put them in the ice water. When they are completely chilled, lay them on a clean tea towel to dry.
3. Make the dressing - use a fork to mash the anchovy in a bowl large enough to accomodate the beans too. Add the lemon zest and juice and mustard and whisk together, then whisk in the olive oil. Finely chop the olives and whisk them in too. Add a couple of grinds of pepper and taste for seasoning - I didn't need any addiitonal salt but you might like things saltier.
4. Toss the green beans into the dressing, then chop the egg fairly small and add that and the thyme leaves. Chill for a bit, then serve. Delicious with a glass of rose from Provence!!!