Keeping green beans/4th of July menu

[Cairycat]

Just back from the Farmers Market, trying to plan out my 4th of July menu for five. I'm trying to accent seasonal foods, and it is also my husband's birthday.

My favorite vendor had a sign on their green beans, that if you kept the beans beyond a day or two, it's best to keep them in high humidity in a crisper, and put a paper towel in the bag. But since I'm going for appearance as well as taste, I'm thinking I might cook the green beans and refrigerate until Wednesday. Here's the recipe I'm planning to use:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10047-green-bean-and-tomato-salad?action=click&module=Global%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=14
Any thoughts on which would keep them best?


The rest of my menu follows.

Watermelon agua fresca https://iowagirleats.com/2015/06/03/watermelon-agua-fresca/ (This blog has a lot of gluten free recipes as well as lots of fresh, healthy ones)

Shish kebabs with vegetables - I haven't decided whether to use beef or lamb)

Traditional potato salad (older son's request)

the Pierre Franey green bean salad from above

Key lime pie (husband's request for his birthday dessert) My recipe is not authentic but a good balance of tart, sweet and creamy. I thicken the sweetened condensed milk with citrus, then fold in whipped cream and put in a graham cracker crust.

[irisblue]

1. Got room for 1 more? I can help with dishes

[Kali]

2. I would wait a couple days before cooking.

if you do it today that is 3 full days sitting around cooked. they won't be as nice as if you wait until Monday or even Tuesday.

[magicarpet]

3. I vote lamb kebabs, I'll clean the grill after the get together.

Lamb and beer.... YUM!

[Freddie]

4. Happy Birthday to your hubby!

It's my husband's birthday too, he will be 60. Planning a family get-together for later this month.
We both play in a community concert band and we always play for our town's All-American July 4 thing preceding the fireworks, with loads of patriotic music. I have never felt less patriotic and the whole event will be depressing. Hope the fireworks don't upset our granddog too much.

[japple]

5. Your menu sounds awesome! I would cook the beans and immediately put them

in ice water, drain and refrig. until Weds.

You and I use the same recipe for lime pie except that I don't fold in the whipped cream. I just pile it on top, then very lightly dust with cocoa powder (sprinkled thru a fine mesh seive.) I have used chocolate crust, but most of the family prefers homemade graham cracker crust.

ETA: Hope the birthday/4th celebration is great!

[trof]

6. Just blanch them for now and refridgerate.

They should stay nice and plump and green until you're ready to finish cooking them.

[Cairycat]

7. The beans kept quite well

I just put them in a bag with a paper towel, and gave them plenty of space in the bag. The green bean and tomato salad recipe was really good. I thought the dressing was a bit too tart, so I put in a few drops of honey, and added some savory to the dressing, since it's traditional with beans. Also used garlic chives instead of the basil.

The watermelon agua fresca was good too, but a lot of work. I made a double quantity to use the whole watermelon. The leftovers are not bad with a little light rum, lol.


We drove a half hour to the little country cemetery where my FIL is buried, and scattered my MIL's ashes around his grave. The cemetery is very quiet except for bird song and wind in the trees, but the heat and humidity made it like a sauna and there were lots of gnats and mosquitos, so it was good to come back and have the key lime pie. My younger son talked about the job opportunities he'll have when he gets his degree next spring, and the young woman we hope will someday be our daughter-in-law was excited to see an osprey nest en route, since she is doing an internship at a raptor center.

On a lighter note, in searching for the rum, I decided to rearrange the liquor cabinet and had all the bottles spread out on the counter. My older son says, "That looks like a hell of drink you're planning on making!" "You've heard of Long Island ice tea, haven't you?" I replied. "Looks like the whole damn state of New York there" was his rejoinder.