Ingredients

• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, both ends trimmed
• one large lemon (lemon zest and lemon juice)
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Trim both ends of green beans. (I do this taking a handful of beans, standing them up in my hand, then letting them fall down on to the cutting board, which lines up the ends. Then trim that end and repeat with the other end.)

2. Fill a medium-sized saucepan half full with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. When water boils, add beans, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook beans about 5 minutes, or until they are barely tender-crisp.

3. While beans cook, grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemon.

4. When beans are tender-crisp, drain into a colander placed in the sink. Return pan to stove and heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the beans, pour over the lemon juice, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and cook beans for about 1 minute, stirring a few times. (Cook beans just long enough to get them infused with lemon flavor.)

5. Put beans on serving platter, then sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve hot.

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