Carrot, Green Bean and Avocado Salad

Wow.  What an amazing summer our family is having.  Far too many lovely vacations and time spent with friends and family to count.  Northern lakes enjoyed on hot summer days and huge smiles on my kids' faces.  The amount of fresh local produce available is just the icing on the cake.  In an effort to eat as much in season as I possibly can, I often walk right by any foreign grown vegetables this time of year.  The exception to this rule is probably the avocado.  This guy is never going to be grown here in Ontario and watching Josilin eat a whole one with a spoon feels right, no matter what time of year it is.

It's a great addition to this salad of carrots and green beans.  We enjoyed ours as a side to grilled fish one evening out on the deck.  Roasting felt a little odd in the throws of summer but served at room temperature it worked.  I roasted the vegetables the night before, as I often do when it's too hot to turn on the oven.  It worked out great as I was able to throw the salad together quickly after a day at work.

Carrot Green Bean and Avocado Salad

adapted from Jamie Oliver

2 lbs carrots, tops removed
1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp cumin (ground)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cayenne
salt/pepper
1 tsp sugar
2 avocado, sliced

1 cup mixed greens

Preheat oven to 450degrees.  Add carrots to a large pot of boiling water, reduce heat and simmer about 10min until tender.  Drain the carrots and reserve.  Combine in a large bowl with green beans.
While carrots are cooking, you can make the dressing/marinade.  In a jar, combine juice of lemon, vinegar, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, olive oil and sugar.  Pour about 3/4 of dressing on carrots and green beans.  Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet and bake about 15-20min, until browned.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine carrots and green beans with avocado and greens on each plate.  Drizzle remaining dressing on top.  Enjoy!